Att bli och att fortsätta vara familjehem : en kvalitativ studie med familjehemsföräldrar

Sammanfattning: The aim of this study is to describe and understand the reasons to why people choose to become foster parents. By using the theory of action we wanted to investigate their intentions rather than their motives. The questions we wanted to answer where: How do the foster parents describe their reasons for becoming a foster home? What reasons do they give fore keeping on being foster parents? How do they comprehend their task and the fulfilling of it? The study was performed by utilizing qualitative interviews with five foster parents, four women and one man. In the analysis we used the theory of action as a theoretical perspective. The interpretation of the results is inspired by hermeneutics. The result showed that the wish to help a child was the primary reason for them to become foster parents. During the assignment new reasons came up and they were to a great extent related to their own satisfaction. Further, the study demonstrates that the foster parents believed they had a large space of action. It is our belief that their space of action had an impact on their willingness to continue being foster parents because they felt they had the power to influence their situation.