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    Fostering children with attachment difficulties: exploring the experiences of New Zealand carers. (2011)

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    Type of Content
    Theses / Dissertations
    UC Permalink
    http://hdl.handle.net/10092/6386
    http://dx.doi.org/10.26021/6510
    
    Thesis Discipline
    Health Sciences
    Degree Name
    Master of Science
    Publisher
    University of Canterbury. Health Sciences
    Collections
    • Health: Theses and Dissertations [278]
    Authors
    McDonald, Nicola Ellen
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    Abstract

    The objective of the present study was to explore the experiences of New Zealand non-relative foster carers fostering children with attachment difficulties (indicative of disorders of non-attachment). This objective was achieved using a detailed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith et al., 2009). Analysis revealed five themes evident in carer accounts: expectations versus reality; satisfactions and strains of fostering children with attachment difficulties; attachment relationships and the benefits of information; the impact of others on the caring experience; and negative expectations and future concerns. Overall, these themes suggest that fostering children with attachment difficulties is a complex and challenging experience which significantly impacts carers and their families. While lack of public understanding and public judgement compound the difficulty of the experience, receiving information about fostering and attachment difficulties appears to alleviate it. The five identified themes and their relation to the existing literature are explored in detail in this thesis. Implications for social policy and practice are discussed, and potential future research directions are outlined.

    Keywords
    foster care; attachment; psychology; children; foster carers; foster parents; thesis; new zealand
    Rights
    Copyright Nicola Ellen McDonald
    https://canterbury.libguides.com/rights/theses

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