Abstract
Parental perspectives as service users of permanency planning services and reunification remains a knowledge gap in the literature. The study provides an analysis of parental perspectives on the experience of being a service user in an Australian temporary care program which is focused on achieving permanency through reunification, including parent perceptions of workers during the reunification process. A sample of 25 birth parents were interviewed as part of this research, to explore the difficulties they faced that led to their children being removed, their reactions and their perspectives on reunification. Some parents had a limited understanding of the impact on children of poor family functioning, other parents spoke with considerable insight about their child’s needs and the reasons for removal. Parents expressed an intense and mixed emotional response to being separated from their child, and found court processes confusing and isolating. Some parents developed supportive relationships with their carers that assisted them with their ability to care for their children and improve their parenting skills. Parents generally reported a good working relationship with their caseworkers. On reunification parents felt conflicting emotions of happiness at being reunited whilst feeling guilty and upset that they had been placed in care. Overall most parents were optimistic about their families’ future at the time of reunifications.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Burgheim, T. (2005). The grief of families whose children have been removed: Implications for workers in out-of-home care, developing practice. The Child, Youth and Family Work Journal, 13, 57–61.
Bullock, R., Gooch, D., & Little, M. (1998). Children going home: The reunification of families. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Ltd.
Cleaver, H. (2000). Fostering family contact. London: The Stationery Office.
Cox, K. L. (2000). Parenting the second-time around for parents in recovery: Parenting class using the twelve-step recovery model. Sources, 10, 11–14.
Daley, D., & Gorske, T. (2000). Improving treatment adherence for mothers with substance abuse problems. Sources, 10, 1–5.
Delfabbro, P., Barber, J., & Cooper, L. (2003). Predictors of short-term reunification in South Australia substitute care. Child Welfare, 82(1), p27–p51.
Fernandez, E. (1998). Realities of women’s caring: Rethinking child welfare decision making. In E. Fernandez, K. Heycox, L. Hughes & M. Wilkinson (Eds.), Women Participating in Global Change, International Association of Schools of Social Work, Sydney: Women’s Symposium (Hong Kong) Publications Committee, pp. 221–239.
Fernandez, E. (1996). Significant harm: Unravelling child protection decisions and substitute care careers of children. England: Ashgate Publishing.
Jenkins, S. (1981). The tie that binds. In A.N. Maluccio & P.A. Sinanoglu (Eds.), The Challenge of Partnership: Working With Parents of Children in Residential Care. New York: Child Welfare League of America, Inc.
MacKinnon, L. K. (1998). Trust and betrayal in the treatment of child abuse. New York: Guilford Press.
McDonald, M., Higgins, D., Valentine, K., & Lamont, A. (2011). Protecting Australia’s children research audit (1995–2010). Final report. Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
O’Neill, C. (2005). Christmas without the kids: Losing children through the child protection system. Children Australia, 30, 11–18.
Panozzo, S., Osborn, A., & Bromfield, L. M. (2007). Issues relating to reunification (Research Brief No. 5). Melbourne: National Child Protection Clearinghouse, Australian Institute of Family Studies. Retrieved May 21, 2007 from http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/brief/menu.html#research.
Schofield, G., Stevenson, J. (2009). Contact and work with birth families. In G. Schofield & J. Simmonds (Eds.), The child placement handbook: research, policy and practice. London: BAAF.
Sen, R., & Broadhurst, K. (2011). Contact between children in out-of-home placements and their family and friends networks : A research review. Child and Family Social Work Online, 16(3), 298–309.
Scott, T., Honner, J. (2003). The most enduring of relationships: Engaging families who have children in substitute care (Monograph No. 26). Melbourne: MacKillop Family Services.
Thomson, J., & Thorpe, R. (2004). Powerful partnerships in social work: Group work with parents of children in care. Australian Social Work, 57(1), 46–56.
Waldfogel, J. (2008). The Future of Child Protection Revisited. In D. Lindsey & A. Shlonsky (Eds.), Child welfare research: Advances for practice and policy (pp. 235–241). New York: Oxford University Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Fernandez, E. (2013). Parental Perspectives. In: Accomplishing Permanency: Reunification Pathways and Outcomes for Foster Children. SpringerBriefs in Well-Being and Quality of Life Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5092-0_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5092-0_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-5091-3
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-5092-0
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawSocial Sciences (R0)