Att ge familjeomsorg utan mandat - En intervjustudie om familjehemsföräldrars upplevelse

Sammanfattning: When children are unable to live at home with their biological parents, foster carers become an important part of social care. Our study has been based on the foster carers' perspective. The aim of this study was to investigate the role, influence and duties of foster carers. The method chosen was a qualitative approach with eight semi-structured interviews with foster carers. The interviewees were women in southern Sweden who have worked between seven and thirty years in the care system. The empirical findings were analyzed using Erving Goffman's dramaturgical perspective and the concept of stigma. The results show that the role of foster carers is complex. Not only do they have to focus on their role as a carer, they have to relate to the placed children, the biological parents, and different actors and at the same time. Instead of focusing on what is in the best interests of the child, the focus is on the best interests of the parents. The biological parents have the rights and laws on their side. The foster carers state that they have minimal influence. They only have influence on the matching process and where parent contact should take place. They see themselves more as “advisors” to the social worker. The collaboration between the social worker and the foster carers affects how they experience their influence. The study also shows that the care system has shortcomings and often contradicts itself.