FosterCare

Protection concepts, foster care, sexualised violence

Prof Dr Wolfgang Schröer, Dr Florian Eßer, Tanja Rusack, University of Hildesheim Foundation

Prof Dr Mechthild Wolff, Landshut University of Applied Sciences

01/2018-12/2020

International research on "child maltreatment" shows that children and young people in foster care experience psychological, emotional and sexualised violence significantly more frequently than their peers who are not in a foster care constellation. However, a professional discussion and systematic analysis and research of processes in foster care that can lead to violent experiences in foster care relationships has not yet taken place in Germany. Accordingly, protection concepts for full-time foster care have only been developed to a limited extent.

The aim of this interdisciplinary joint project is to develop recommendations for action for protection concepts from the perspective of the personal rights of children and young people as part of a participatory approach, to strengthen the position of children, young people and former foster children (care leavers) and to analyse existing (support) approaches to good practice.

The work process of the interdisciplinary joint project can be broken down into the following objectives:

1. Analysing forms already used to protect children and young people against forms of violence in the professional infrastructures of foster families
2. Analysing existing protection concepts from the international context and other fields of child and youth welfare in Germany for possible transfer to foster care in Germany
3. Development of starting points for protection concepts in the context of discussion rounds with foster children, care leavers, foster parents and employees in foster children's services
4. Creation of information material on the personal rights of foster children and care leavers
5. Opportunity for children, young people and care leavers to express their own experiences via a hotline and, if necessary, to be referred to a counselling centre

Development of recommendations for action and training materials for protection concepts in foster care