Vårdnadsöverflyttningar vid långvariga placeringar i familjehem : Initiering, argument för och emot samt dilemman och svårigheter

Sammanfattning: The statistics shows low quantity of custody transfer while it shows a high number of children in long-term foster care placement in Sweden. This qualitative study examines how social services work with custody transfer and the challenges that comes with it. Questions under study were; Which factors makes social services initiate a custody transfer? What argument stands for and against custody transfer after three years? Which dilemmas and difficulties are related to a custody transfer?   The aim of the study was to study what obstacles and possibilities a custody transfer contains according to social workers, and to try to understand the social workers process in working with custody transfer. The group under study consisted of five social workers with a variety of experience within the field. The material from the interviews was analysed by two steps using a phenomenological method. The result shows that many actors can make application of custody transfer difficult. The perspective of the placed children seemed to have a low value when deciding about the children’s staying and what’s best for them. Furthermore, the informants described social services today as in constant change, the staff has less experience and the guidelines is deficient. In accordance with earlier research, the result indicate however that custody transfer means many advantages for the children in foster care. Based on research and theoretical perspectives along with the findings of this study, the discussion is about the importance of children attachment, stability and participation in decisions about their own lives. Further, social services experiences of children worry and other emotions in foster care when custody transfer is discussed. There were also various dilemmas and difficulties according to the informants when assessments of custody transfer were made.