Long-term fostering : a challenging experience

Abstract

Long-term fostering is a relatively new concept in Malta. At present there are approximately 54 children living with foster families. This implies that only about 14% of children who can benefit through long-term fostering are actually living this experience. This shows that although long-term fostering can be very rewarding, there are certainly various challenges which have to be faced. This study looks into the life experience of 10 children in foster care and their foster carers, in an effort to understand better what challenges they encounter and how they deal with them.