POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT AFTER A ROUGH START DANIELA REIMER, UNIVERSITY OF SIEGEN

 Difficult start  negative development  not surprising  Good start  negative development  what parents usually try to avoid, but usually don‘t know how to avoid  Difficult start  positive development  surprising

RESILIENCE RESEARCH Crucial questions (I) What is resilience? When can you say someone is „resilient“?

Resilience requires exposure to significant risk, overcoming risk or adversity, and success that is beyond predicted expectations.“ Richman & Fraser (2001:6)

 Crucial questions (II) What constitutes significant risk? What constitutes succesful outcomes beyond predicted expectations?

RESILIENCE IN FOSTER CHILDREN – A QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVE  Biografical interviews with young adults who had been in foster care  Narrative follow up interviews 4-8 years later  Narrative approach: what kind of stories do they tell about their lifes  What do we get to know through the stories about a) Their objective life probation? b) Their subjective well being?

Growing up with the biological mother. Two younger siblings, mother is alcohol and drug addicted,father absent 1st Foster Family Martina comes to her grandparents 2nd Foster Family Martina comes to her uncle and aunt Martina enters residential care Martina comes to her 3rd Foster Family Martina comes to her 4th Foster Family, later on that family will adopt her School enrolment 2nd school enrolment Adoptiv father has cancer, he dies about two years later Martina moves to ther first flat with her boyfriend Martina repeats a grade in school and decides to leaves school. Being unemployed, later period of practical work, continuing school Access to records at the ChildProtection Service Contact with birrth family Home birth of the 4th child, Martina assists Martina – a case story A level; starting higher education

RESILIENCE IN MARTINA‘S LIFE  First years are characterized by adversity: neglect, violence, parent‘s absence, high levels of discontinuity; in residential care: behaviour problems  In the 4th foster family: a process starts

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROCESS The family is Martina‘s family of choice; possibilities for forming every day life together  PARTICIPATION Foster parents take an unconditional decision for the relationship; parents adopt Martina, Martina adopts her parents, the relationship is not seriously endangered by fights, both sides are aware of it (!), they celebrate together success (Martina‘s A level), and grief together; parents are proud of Martina  SECURITY; CONTINUITY; Parents are child centered & support Martina making friendships and developing interests and hobbys; friendships, interests and future plans are not endangered by Martina leaving school without degree  FUTURE PERSPECTIVES, INTERESTS & FRIENDSHIPS (nurtured during one decade) Martina and parents are again and again able to develop alternative ways : therapy and period of practical work instead of school; living apart to avoid daily escalation  FLEXIBILITY Parents support Martina in her contact with the birth family, Martina is able to recognise her need for knowing more about her roots  OPENESS; UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS

SEVEN YEARS LATER – SECOND INTERVIEW – FIRST INSIGHTS  Objective life probation: Graduated from university; qualified full time employment; established relationship  Subjective perspective: satisfied with life; positive future expectation; but aware of challenges (current and ahead) „well it‘s difficult“: decisions to take about founding a familiy/ desire for a child; getting along with in-laws; getting along at work; supporting her elderly foster mother; balancing her desire for contact with her family of birth  Resilience and well-being is challenged

CONCLUSIONS  The meaning of participation and continuity for foster children as well as helpful adult – child relationships, even beyond the official end of foster care proofs to be outstanding  BUT: Not standing alone  Participation, continuity and helpful adult-child relationships are embedded in a whole bunch of interacting processes which are characterized by openness, flexibility, understanding for each other’s need, continuity in other life domains (interests, friendships, future plans), success at school, developing a realistic picture of the foster family & of the birth family, allowing ambivalences, reconciliation and acceptance of the own biography, finding ways for a mature relationship, balancing proximity and distance  Resilience Research gains “nuances” from qualitative research

CONTACT Daniela Reimer, Dipl. Päd.; University of Siegen/ ZPE, Germany Mail: