Börnum sem geta ekki dvalið hjá foreldrum sínum vegna erfiðra aðstæðna er jafnan komið
í fóstur á einkaheimili fyrir tilstilli barnaverndarnefnda. Markmiðið er að búa barninu tímabundið
tryggar uppeldisaðstæður eða að koma því varanlega fyrir þegar ekki þykir unnt
að bæta aðstæður þess með öðrum hætti. Til fósturráðstöfunar er því einkum gripið þegar
talið er að líkamlegri eða andlegri heilsu barnsins eða þroska þess sé hætta búin vegna
framferðis foreldra eða vegna hegðunar barnsins.
Rannsóknir staðfesta að námsgengi fósturbarna er oft slæmt, óstöðugleiki í fóstri hefur
neikvæð áhrif og samráði við börn um ákvarðanir í málum er oft áfátt. Þessi grein fjallar
um rannsókn á fóstri barna og skólagöngu. Markmiðið var að athuga reynslu viðmælenda
af fósturdvöl og skólagöngu, m.a. hvort þeir teldu að haft hefði verið samráð við þá um
ákvarðanir. Um var að ræða viðtalsathugun með þátttöku- og barnmiðuðu sniði, þar sem
reynt var að veita viðmælendum talsvert sjálfdæmi um tilhögun viðtala. Rætt var við fjóra
unglinga á aldrinum 14 til 16 ára. Sumir höfðu dvalið á víxl í fóstri eða hjá foreldrum. Í
niðurstöðum vöktu áföll og tíð skipti um skóla einna mesta athygli og það beindi meðal
annars athygli að óstöðugleika fóstursins. Hvert barn hafði sótt 4–5 skóla. Á þeim tíma
þegar rannsóknin var gerð höfðu börnin alls skipt um skóla 26 sinnum og lent í ýmsum
vanda, t.d. einelti og óréttmætum ásökunum. Reynsla fósturbarnanna af skólagöngu var
með ýmsu móti. Samvinna var nokkur milli skólans og barnaverndarnefndar sveitarfélagsins
en samráð við börnin lítið og vinnuaðferðir virtust ekki efla þau nema að litlu leyti. Erfitt
reyndist að finna börn til að ræða við og strandaði þar mest á milliliðum sem þurfa að leyfa
slíkt. Rannsóknin náði til fárra og var markmiðið því ekki að alhæfa um niðurstöður. Í ljósi
þeirra má þó álykta að barnaverndarnefndir og skólar þurfi, a.m.k. stundum, að skilgreina
betur frumkvæði, tryggja fósturbörnum meira öryggi og treysta betur námsgengi þeirra.
Þess er vænst að niðurstöðurnar geti nýst til að efla menntun fósturbarna.
Child protection committees place children in foster care due to difficult conditions
in their parental home. The goal of this measure is to safeguard children’s situation
and upbringing, either temporarily or permanently, when other special measures do
not suffice. Foster care placements are used by child protection authorities if a child
may be physically or mentally endangered by the parent’s situation or by the child’s
own behaviour. Research generally shows poorer educational outcomes for children
in foster care than for other learners. Findings also confirm that placement disruption
and breakdown negatively affects children’s well- being and schooling. Studies
of case handling in child protection show lack of children’s participation in decision
making which goes against the participation principle in the United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child.
This paper reports on a study of children’s own experiences on foster care and schooling.
It aimed in particular at exploring whether the children under study had been
consulted and empowered by child protection and educational professionals who
handled their matters. The sample was recruited through child protection authorities.
Finding interviewees proved to be time consuming and complicated, mostly due to
lack of assistance and because gatekeepers were reluctant to grant access. The research
was conducted by using child-focused interview methods. Open questions were
used to enable the children to talk freely and adjust the interviews to a certain extent.
Pictures, signs and conversation cards were applied to encourage the children to
participate actively in dialogues. Four foster children were interviewed; two boys and
two girls, all 14-16 years of age. Questions mainly concerned well-being in foster care,
albeit some were retrospective in order to contextualise the accounts.
The children stayed temporarily or permanently in foster care while attending primary
school. They had earlier lived in various parts of Iceland and had to attend school
geographically far away from their homes, parents and families. Their case handling
was under the jurisdiction of various child protection authorities in different regions
of the country. Some children moved temporarily from the foster home to the parental
home and returned later to the same or another placement. The number of attended
schools was a significant issue. During years of primary school each child had changed
school 4 – 11 times and in total the children had attended seventeen schools.
The children’s experiences varied, both in temporarily and permanent foster care. For
instance, one boy in permanent care, where stability and good daily care dominated,
was reported as being content and comfortable, while one girl where placements
were disrupted was repeatedly sexually abused. The children had learning difficulties,
physical and behavioural problems, were mobbed by peers and some met with
unreasonable accusations. There had been some cooperation between the schools
and the child protection authorities, but none of the children were consulted which
deprived them of the opportunity to influence their own situation. Those who faced
problems did not obtain a spokesman who could listen and explain the reasons behind
foster arrangements or other practicalities. For instance, one girl’s request for a
spokesman, a service to which she was entitled according to the Icelandic Child Protection
Act, was repeatedly denied.
This study was based on a small sample which provided no ground for generalization
and limits definite conclusions. However, the experiences of the interviewees on
foster care and schooling enable deeper understanding of the issue, in particular as
it is under-researched in Iceland. The findings indicate that schools should enhance
safeguarding measures of children in foster care. Professionals also need to attend
more carefully to educational needs of children in foster care. Furthermore, clear goals
need to be introduced in regard to cooperation of educational and child protection
authorities and the same is true for procedures concerning school attendance
of children placed in foster care. According to this study and other research referred
to in the article, these recommendations may be important preconditions for coping
effectively in adult life.
