Cruce, Amanda and Osborn, Kimberly and Rauktis, Mary and Cooley, Morgan and Hartley, Scout
(2025)
A Balancing Act: A Qualitative Examination of Foster Parent Rights and Well-being.
Journal of Public Child Welfare.
(In Press)
Abstract
Foster parents are perceived as important members of the child welfare team, but despite this recognition, there is little research on their experiences and perspectives using a rights framework. Yet this perspective is critical since the child welfare system is a setting where rights violations as well as conflicts occur. This study utilized focus groups with 19 foster parents to explore their perspectives and experiences of their rights within the child welfare system. Following Androff’s framework, (2017), responses were analyzed using his six constructs of social work human rights practice: human dignity, transparency, accountability, participation, non-discrimination, and well-being. The study found a strong relationship between foster parent’s views and a need for a stronger human rights practice in foster care to support not only foster parents but the parents and children the system aims to serve. Much of the discussion focused on the balancing act of rights between the groups. In the end, foster parents identified the need for human rights practices to be in place to foster and nurture well-being. The findings suggest ways that child welfare systems can identify when foster parent, child and birth parent rights may be in conflict and how policies can be negotiated.
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