A number of researches have been conducted but with attention focused essentially on foster placement success using ex-foster children as a measuring rod. Most of such studies which include former foster children usually collect factual (usually quantitative) data to evaluate their pathways or achievements since leaving care, such as educational attainment, career paths, employment and degree of successes. This study differs because it examines the perceptions and opinions of children in care as well as foster carers and social workers, in relation to the important issues of what constitutes successful foster placements and the characteristics of the foster carers who are most likely to be able to make possible such a placement. The research adopts an epistemological philosophy that is underpinned with social constructionism. The research method is mixed (with qualitative and quantitative); while questionnaire is the research tool. Data was analysed with the use of chi-square. For the most part, a successful placement is described by participants in terms of how they feel in terms of their happiness, attention given, loved, listened to and safety. As well as the more commonly known characteristics of good foster carers, children in care nominate important attributes as fun-loving, good-listeners, equality and honesty. This new perspective adds an important dimension to what we know about foster placement success and should be taken into consideration when making decisions about the delivery of foster care programmes.
Keywords
Children, foster, characteristics, placement, good, carers, success
