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How Do People Become Foster Carers in Portugal? The Process of Building the Motivation

Bibliographic Data

ID5934201
AuthorsElisete Diogo (0000-0002-5303-8585, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, corresponding author), Francisco Branco (0000-0003-0075-792X, Universidade Católica Portuguesa)
Year2019
Volume8
Issue8
Pages230
Publication date2019-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2076-0760 • E-ISSN: 2076-0760
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/socsci8080230
OpenAlexW2966785987
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited10

Act no. 142/2015 highlights the importance of children out-of-home being placed in a family context. However, foster care continues to be an almost absent component in the Portuguese childcare system. In 2017, it corresponded to just 3% of out-of-home care. This research aims to contribute to the understanding of the reasons for becoming a foster family. It adopted a qualitative approach, using carers' narrative interviews and practitioners semi-structured interviews, inspired by grounded theory. Foster family motivation is rooted in altruism, affection for children and sensitivity to maltreatment. These factors, as well as personal life course and contact with out-of-home care, induce a predisposition to become a foster family. The quality of the support services and the care professionals' performance also reveal key elements

Affection · Altruism (biology · Context (archaeology · Developmental psychology · Foster care · Grounded theory · Narrative · Portuguese · Qualitative research · Sociology · Child Abuse and Trauma · Child Welfare and Adoption · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Social Psychology

  • Children's voices on parental visits in long‐term foster care

    Open Access•Céline Cannaert, Lieselot De Wilde•Family Relations•2026

  • Development and validation of a new scale to assess motivations for fostering

    Stephanie Alves, Cláudia Camilo et al.•Journal of Public Child Welfare•2024

  • Factors influencing the guidance of shared parenthood over time

    Céline Cannaert, Lieselot De Wilde•Journal of Public Child Welfare•2025

  • What prevents people from becoming foster carers

    Open Access•J Lind, Cecilia Lindgren et al.•European Journal of Social Work•2025

  • Why do people become a foster parent? Insights from a national study

    Open Access•Eunice Magalhães, Helena Carvalho et al.•Children and Youth Services Review•2025

  • The Meaning of Shared Parenthood in Long‐Term Foster Care

    Open Access•Céline Cannaert, Lieselot De Wilde•Child & Family Social Work•2024

  • Social Assistance Dynamics in Europe

    Chiara Saraceno•Social Assistance Dynamics in…•2002

  • Child Protection Systems

    Neil Gilbert, Nigel Parton et al.•Child protection systems•2011

  • Families and Informal Support Networks in Portugal

    Open Access•Karin Wall, Sofia Aboim et al.•Journal of European Social Policy•2001

  • Challenging behaviour in foster care

    Open Access•Olivia Octoman, Sara McLean•Adoption & Fostering•2014

  • Foster Parents' Reasons for Fostering and Foster Family Utilization

    Kathryn W Rhodes, Kathryn Rhodes et al.•The Journal of Sociology & Social…•2006

  • Public perception of the foster care system

    Open Access•Christina Leber, Craig Winston Lecroy•Children and Youth Services Review•2012

  • Motivation for foster care

    Open Access•Skrallan De Maeyer, Johan Vanderfaeillie et al.•Children and Youth Services Review•2014

  • The Recruitment and Retention of Family Foster-Carers

    Matthew Colton, Susan Roberts et al.•The British Journal of Social Work•2006

  • The Empirical Ties between Religious Motivation and Altruism in Foster Parents

    Open Access•Michael Howell-Moroney, Michael Howell‐moroney•Religions•2014

Unique citing works6
Citations per year3
Citation span2024 - 2026 (3)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 6
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