Fostering children and young people on remand: Care or control?

Remand foster-carers can provide placements for children and young people awaiting trial or sentence within criminal courts. The role of fostering children and young people on remand is in some ways more complex than fostering other children, as remand foster-carers have to bridge the divide between providing the care of the welfare system and the control of the criminal justice system. This paper considers the ways in which a small sample of remand foster-carers attempted to manage these tensions and incongruities and tried to reach a balance between care and control. The paper identifies two main 'parenting' approaches adopted by remand foster-carers, and comments on the appropriateness of each to meet the needs of children and young people on remand, whilst still achieving the requirements of the criminal justice system.