Author:

Abstract:

Worldwide, family foster care is the preferred option for out-of-home care for children and youth. This preference is rooted in the conviction that growing up in a family environment is fundamentally in the best interests of the child, as it is more similar to 'ordinary family life' and provides warmth and a sense of belonging. Nonetheless, placing a child in foster care leads to significant changes in family structures and relationships, prompting all involved to reflect on the meaning of 'family' and who belongs to it. Despite 'family' being central to family foster care, there is notable ambiguity and conflicting interpretations as to what this precisely means in this context. This dissertation aims to unravel these ambiguities and contradictions through five qualitative studies. The first study concerns a systematic review and a meta-analysis of the family perceptions held by (former) foster children in non-kinship care, as well as an examination of the relationship between research methods and their findings. The second study provides a systematic review of how different stakeholders in family foster care - parents, foster parents, children of foster parents, and foster care workers - perceive 'family'. The third study focuses on how 'family' is approached within Flemish foster care legislation and policy. The fourth study uses focus groups and interviews to investigate how (former) foster children, parents, foster parents, children of foster parents, and foster care workers in non-kinship care conceptualize and articulate family identities and relationships, as well as the challenges and complexities they encounter in navigating these relationships. Drawing on the same data, the fifth study explores how these stakeholders construct and maintain family identities through the use (or non-use) of family terms. The general discussion illuminates the inherent paradox of 'family' in the care system, the diverse interpretations and manifestations of family, and the significant yet often unheard voices. Furthermore, the strengths and limitations of the studies are reflected on and implications for future research, practice, and policy in family foster care are discussed. It stresses the need for continued engagement with and a nuanced understanding of 'family' within the foster care system.