Breaking placements – when it seems impossible to stay

By Dr Jane Herd. First published in Foster, Issue 13, 2022.

Complex processes come into play when a child must leave their foster home, particularly when this comes to pass because the foster carers feel they can no longer manage to maintain the child in their care. This article offers a tool for considering presenting behaviours in a more nuanced way, a discussion of contextual factors which influence ‘placement stability’ and an understanding of the various processes behind much of the acting out which foster carers experience. There is an exploration of rarer situations where a child may try to ‘force’ a move, but the overall argument is that pressures on carers and their families are rarely produced by foster children as a deliberate attempt to leave their foster family.

Download the full article [pdf]

Our thanks to Dr Jane Herd, and Foster, for allowing us to share this.