A Kind of Loving: A Model of Effective Foster Care

Correspondence to Professor Kate Wilson, Centre of Social Work, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD. E-mail: kate.wilson{at}nottingham.ac.uk Summary The article builds on a companion statistical paper, which drewon the findings of a large sample of foster placements and analysedfactors leading to a successful placement and the avoidanceof disruption. A model of successful foster care was developedwhich suggested that outcomes depend on three aspects of thefoster placement, those that relate to the child, the fostercarer and the interaction between the two. Here, a concreteexample in the form of a case study drawn from interviews undertakenas part of the study is used to illustrate the relevance ofthe model to practice. The qualities that make up the interactionbetween the carer and the child are elaborated through the conceptof ‘responsive parenting’. The analysis is takenfurther by identifying the processes involved in a way thatis detailed and precise and has relevance to theory. The paperargues that the case study provides material that could informboth training and the theories that underpin practice.