'The past, the present, but never the future': thematic representations of fostering disruption

The paper discusses some of the findings of a small-scale explor-atory research project which analysed the dynamics involved in substitute family care placements for young people, and assessed the processes demonstrated in fostering breakdowns in terms of the interactions, negotiations and adjustments between the re-spective parties over time. The paper concentrates on three core and interlocking themes: first, the perception of foster placements as 'second best'; secondly, the 'images of family life' permeating placements; and finally, the 'nature vs. nurture' debate which affected the ability of users and carers to sustain placements. These themes were selected for their significance in the development of an explanatory framework for understanding the interactional dynamics involved in placement disruption. The paper concludes with a discussion of the key implications for social work practice, considering foster carer training, sustaining placements, and part-nership arrangements between the young people, their natural families, foster carers and social work professionals.