Exploring the relationship: joint narratives of foster carers and young people

This study looks at the stories that foster carers and the young people in their care jointly construct as they engage in discussion about their relationship. The research aimed to explore both the meanings that they hold regarding the development of this relationship and the patterns of contributions they make as they engage in their conversations. Four dominant narrative themes emerged: talking being central; the relationship and placement being different to expectations; being included like family, now and always; and sharing laughter through normal experiences. Analysis of the conversations showed that the foster carers made extensive use of ‘imputation questions’ – speaking for the young person in an attempt to prompt them to talk. However, these questions typically had the opposite effect to ‘invitation questions’ that enabled more extended interactions and joint storytelling. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for future research on fostering relationships and foster carer training.