One of the key aims for Local Authorities placing children in fostercare is placement stability. Local Authorities are measured on how stable placements are and are questioned on how many moves a young person has had while in their care, and "marked down" if the number is too high. Any unplanned move is potentially damaging to a child and also takes its toll on the adults looking after them, so it is helpful to look at the research available in order to minimise disruption. There are several factors that need to be considered:
Issues relating to the child or young person need to be considered when matching with foster carers. Their history, their expectations of adults, their ability to form trusting relationships, the risk that they will develop a conduct or attachment disorder can affect the stability of their placement. Behaviour is also a factor, particularly if patterns have been long established or if the child's emotional or intellectual functioning inhibits improvement. As any foster carer will tell you, behaviour also changes as a child develops and with changing dynamics within the household. Patterns can emerge during adolescence which could not have been predicted and which affect the household so much, that the placement cannot be sustained.
Issues relating to the carers, are equally significant. Their skills, their experience and training, the support they receive are all crucial factors in maintaining a child in their home. If foster carers are ill-equipped or ill- prepared for the job being asked of them, the risk of breakdown increases. Lack of support will inevitably cause placement stress, both in terms of the support offered by the agency as well as the support and availability of the child's own social worker.
The match of child with the carer also effects the longevity of a placement. A child's interests, family history, cultural and ethnic background, religious needs and general aspirations need to be carefully identified and time spent looking for carers who can match these, at least to some extent. Experience has shown this makes a huge difference to the outcome for the child. More importantly, offering the child or young person a choice about who they live with can be hugely beneficial in terms of the bonding and ultimate stability. Good practice would suggest that a child (along with their social worker) learns about several potential carers, meeting them and visiting their home, and then chooses which hey feel would be right for them. Due to the shortage of foster carers, this rarely happens, and instead decisions are made for them (often there simply is no choice). In an ideal world, children should be consulted beforehand about what sort of family they would like to live with – this could include geographical location (town or country for instance), size of family (large, with lots of other children, or a smaller, less busy household) leisure activities (sporty or more arts and crafts based - or both!) Research has shown that with choice comes commitment. Young people will be more likely to cooperate and make the effort with their foster carers if they have chosen to be there.
Research has also found that the introduction of a new child to the fostercare home has an impact on stability and can lead to existing, previously settled placements breaking down unexpectedly. This is concerning because most foster carers are approved for more than one child; many are approved for 3 children, which increases the potential for frequent comings and goings into and out of the fostering household. In such fostering households, the children have imposed on them a quasi-sibling relationship and more research is needed to explore the dynamics between them and the general effects of introducing new children into placements.
