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BJSW Advance Access published online on December 13, 2006
British Journal of Social Work, doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcl375
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved

Article

The Recruitment and Retention of Family Foster-Carers: An International and Cross-Cultural Analysis

Matthew Colton 1 *, Susan Roberts 2, and Margaret Williams 3

1 Professor and Head of Department at the Regional Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (RBUP), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
2 Lecturer in Applied Social Sciences at the University of Wales Swansea
3 Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Calgary, Canada

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Matthew Colton, E-mail: Matthew.Colton{at}ntnu.no


  Abstract

Fostering services across the globe encounter difficulties in recruiting and retaining family foster-carers. Yet, we know little of the international and cross-cultural issues which impact on recruitment and retention. In this article, we draw on previous empirical research, and also on information collected during a recent study of global trends in family foster-care, to present an international comparative analysis of those issues. Three key themes emerged from the study: motivation and capacity to foster; professionalism versus altruism; and criteria for kinship and unrelated carers. Each of these presents a considerable challenge to foster-care services. Here, we explore these key themes further, and reflect on the implications for policy and practice.

Keywords: recruitment, retention, family foster-carers, international analysis, cross-cultural analysis.
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