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“It Is Possible to Call More People Mum”—Contact Between Children in Foster Care and Their Birth Parents

Author

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  • Marianne Rugkåsa

    (Department of Social Sciences, OsloMet—Oslo Metropolitan University, 0167 Oslo, Norway
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Elisabeth Backe-Hansen

    (NOVA, OsloMet—Oslo Metropolitan University, 0167 Oslo, Norway
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

Contact arrangements in child protection can often create conflicts and distress. This is an area the Norwegian Child Welfare Services (CWSs) have paid greater attention to in recent years, to a large degree due to several recent decisions made by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the early 2020s and Norway’s Supreme Court in March 2020, as well as subsequent case law, all highlighting the importance of post-care contact. In the article, we focus on conditions that contribute to successful contact arrangements. We also discuss how CWSs can organise such arrangements in ways that lead to cooperative relationships around the children. The article analyses data from two cases where all those participating in the contact arrangements agreed that they worked well. In addition, we draw on supplementary data from a survey of caseworkers in the CWS about their experiences and assessment of contact arrangements in 525 cases. The analyses show that flexibility, openness, recognition, dialogue, and participation are particularly significant. It is essential to look at contact arrangements as ongoing processes, incorporating changes occurring in the child’s situation, the parents or the foster parents.

Suggested Citation

  • Marianne Rugkåsa & Elisabeth Backe-Hansen, 2025. "“It Is Possible to Call More People Mum”—Contact Between Children in Foster Care and Their Birth Parents," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-14, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:14:y:2025:i:3:p:154-:d:1603799
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Taplin, Stephanie & Lucas, Nina & Suomi, Aino & Humphreys, Cathy & Kertesz, Margaret & McArthur, Morag, 2021. "Parents’ supervised contact visits with their children in care: Factors associated with cancellations," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
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