The purpose of the research is to explore the characteristics and specificity of the well-being of adolescent's on foster care in Serbia in order to improve practice of family-type forms of care and to formulate policy recommendations that are based on research insights. The ultimate purpose of the research is to improve the wellbeing of adolescents in foster care by improving the foster-care system.
The aim of the research is to generate knowledge on factors that contribute to well-being of adolescent's in foster care in Serbia, and what the social welfare system does can do to contribute to children’s well-being.
The objectives of research are the following:
1. Better understand the views of adolescents in care as it relates to their wellbeing and the roles of different systems in securing their wellbeing.
2. Identify how different social actors (foster carers, parents, case managers, fostering advisers, teachers, policy makers) understand what contributes to the well-being of adolescent on foster care;
3. Analyze and compare perspectives of different actors in order to understand areas of agreement and disagreement and to build a common depth understanding;
4. Map and catalogue activities and factors that contribute to well-being of adolescent on foster care, especially what different actors in the system are doing or not doing for well-being of adolescents in foster care. Differentiate between roles and tasks that are defined in policies and those that are not.
5. Formulate recommendations for improving the policy and practice of foster care provision in Serbia.
The key research questions will be related to:
1. How well are adolescents in foster care families doing, do they have opportunities to flourish - to feel good and function effectively similar like their peers in parental families?
2. How different actors (case managers, fostering advisers, foster parents, adolescents, birth parents, policy makers) understand what constitutes well-being of children and adolescents on foster care?
3. What does the social welfare system do or not do for well-being of adolescents on foster care (and how do different actors understand that)?
4. What other circumstances (which are outside the focus of the social welfare system) contribute to the well-being of adolescents on foster care?
5. Does the social welfare system develop tailored measures to support the well-being of adolescents in the foster care who are of different ages and gender, educational, health and mental health needs, family and personal history?
6. Are there differences in the well-being of adolescents on foster care who have a support from fostering advisers and those who do not have such support?
7. What is the willingness and readiness of the various actors in the system to build a common understanding and action towards well-being of adolescents on foster care?
8. What should be improved in the policies, regulations, procedures and direct practice in order to improve well-being of adolescents on foster care?