Contacts of children and youth in foster care with the family of origin

Abstract

Most children and youth in foster care maintain contact with their parents and other family members. Contacts with the family of origin are considered to contribute to successful adaptation to accommodation, as well as family reunification. The goals of this research were to determine the frequency and forms of contact of children in foster care with their family of origin, and to examine the relationships between contacts and characteristics of the child, family and placement. The research was carried out in foster care and adoption centers in Belgrade, Novi Sad and Kragujevac. The sample consisted of 76 children and youth in foster care, both sexes (38,2% male), aged 14-21 years (AS=16,93, SD=2,03). For the purposes of the research, a special questionnaire was created, which was filled out by foster care counselors. The obtained results show that about 80% of children and youth in foster care have direct or indirect contact with their family of origin. In most cases, direct contacts are made occasionally, and indirect contacts are made regularly. According to the results of the regression analysis, the frequency of contact is significantly related to the structure of the family of origin and the age of the users at the time of admission to care. In accordance with the findings of previous studies, the presented results indicate that contacts with the family of origin represent an important aspect of foster care.