Disenfranchised grief

The emotional impact experienced by foster carers on the cessation of a placement

Bibliographic Data

ID11942406
AuthorsDavid Lynes (Edge Hill University, corresponding author), Angela Sitoe (Sefton Council Fostering Service, UK)
Year2019
Volume43
Issue1
Pages22-34
Publication date2019-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAdoption & Fostering (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0308-5759 • E-ISSN: 1740-469X
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0308575918823433
OpenAlexW2906541799
LanguageEN
Citations received15
References cited20

This study uses a qualitative approach to explore the experiences of 22 UK foster carers when a child is ‘moved on’ from a placement, focusing specifically on their experiences of loss. In most cases participants report loving the child as their own and describe their surprise at the profundity of their feelings of loss and grief when living through the child’s departure. These emotions can be fruitfully perceived as ‘disenfranchised grief’ in that its severity was unexpected and was not recognised as legitimate by the carers’ social group or professionals working with them. As a result, their loss was neither perceived as legitimate nor given a vehicle for expression. In some cases, participants report that the experience changed their approach to caring for children and even resulted in them ceasing to foster. The implications for practice include preparing foster carers to expect a grief response when their children move on, to recognise that this might be disenfranchised and to enhance peer and professional support during that process

Disenfranchised grief · Feeling · Grief · Peer support · Psychiatry · Psychotherapist · Qualitative research · Sociology · Surprise · Traumatic grief · Child Abuse and Trauma · Child Welfare and Adoption · Children's Rights and Participation · Psychology · Social Psychology

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Open DOISci-HubOpen Access