Willams, Margaret and Roberts, Susan, Colton Matthew
The recruitment and retention of family foster- carers : an international and cross- cultural analysis /
The recruitment and retention of family foster- carers : an international and cross- cultural analysis /
Mattew Colton, Susan Roberts and Margaret Williams
- Oxford , UK, Oxford University Press, July, 2008.
- 865- 884 p.
- Monthly
- July 2008.
- Volume 38, Number 5 .
Fostering services across the globe encounter difficulties in recruiting and retaining family foster- carers. Yet, we know little of the international and cross- cultural issues which impact on recruitment and retention. In this article, we draw on previous empirical research, and also on information collected during a recent study of global trends in family foster- care, to present an international comparative analysis of those issues. Three key themes emerged from the study: motivation and capacity to foster; professionalism versus altruism; and criteria for kinship and unrelated carers. Each of these presents a considerable challenge to foster- care services. Here, we explore these key themes further, and reflect on the implications for policy and practice.