Grief and Loss: Supporting Foster Carer Families Through Placement Terminations

The importance of acknowledging the grief and loss integral to the experiences of foster carers, has long been understood. However, in a complex area of practice and an increasingly pressured out-of-home care sector, there is a need to refocus foster care program and practitioner attention on supporting carers and their families with the difficult experience of placements ending. This article reports on findings from research that aimed to understand current carer experiences of grief and loss, their coping strategies, their support needs, and the implications for a foster care agency's duty of care towards its workforce. Through a mixed-methods exploratory methodology, data were collected through an online survey and semistructured interviews with carers affiliated with a foster carer provider operating across three Australian jurisdictions. Carers called for acknowledgement of the deep feelings they develop for the children they look after and help for the grieving process, through training, preparation, and tailored support based on authentic relationships with professionals. The need for well-trained and strongly supported agency workers was emphasised.IMPLICATIONS Providing updates to carers about foster children who have left their care can alleviate the pain of grief and loss.Training, preparation, and step-by-step support for carers can promote healthy grieving processes.Tailored support for grieving carers needs to be founded on authentic relationships with foster care professionals and open and honest communication.