Beyond contact
European Perspectives on
Work with Families of Children
Placed Away From Home
Janet Boddy
The study
Funded by the Nuffield Foundation
Project team
UK
Janet Boddy, University of Sussex
June Statham, Institute of Education
Denmark
Inge Danielsen, University College Copenhagen
France
Hélène Join-Lambert and Séverine Euillet,
Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense
Netherlands Esther Geurts, Netherlands Youth Institute
http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/news/beyond-contactwork-families-children-placed-away-home
Aims
• Learning from difference: fresh perspectives from
cross-national work
• Stimulating reflection and discussion, not evaluating
effectiveness
• Sharing approaches to similar problems
• Implications for policy and practice development in
England
- Ongoing policy concern including
Children and Families Bill development
Contexts
France
Denmark Netherlands
England
64.7
5.6
16.7
63.2
133,671
12,565
40,450
68,110
Rate of LAC per 10,000
under 18 years
93
104
114
60
% of LAC in foster care
53%
51%
54%
75%
% of LAC in residential
care
39%
40%
46%
9%
2.5%
12%
20%
Total population (m)
Looked after children (N)
% of LAC placements
involving some
delegation of parental
authority
73%*
Care Orders 59%
Placement Orders 14%
From contact to involvement?
• Keeping informed
• Delegated authority and ‘symbolic’ decisions
• ‘Contact’ or being together: samvær
‘[Parents] can come whenever they feel like, drink a cup of coffee,
dine with the group, or take part in the cosy time in the evening.’
(Residential home described in Danish policy guidance, 2011)
• Intervention to address the problems that led to
placement
• Dedicated support (mandated in law) for parents of
looked after children in Denmark and Netherlands
Beyond contact
 Children return home from care
 Relationships with families continue in care, after leaving
care and into adulthood
 Even when there is no ‘contact’, family forms part of identity;
children and families need to come to terms with separation
 Distinguishing aims and approaches
• Intervention with family problems
• Maintaining relationships and involvement
• Support wider family networks for the future
• Psychological understanding and future relationships