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Building a therapeutic care team: Foster care intervention when a mother is imprisoned – a case study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 February 2016

Catherine Flynn  and
Jenny Lawlor
Catherine Flynn
Affiliation:
Department of Social Work, Monash University, Caulfield Campus, Victoria, Email: [email protected]
Jenny Lawlor
Affiliation:
Anchor Foster Care, Wantirna South, Victoria, Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This paper presents the case study of a family which was supported by a Victorian foster care agency over a two-year period whilst both parents were imprisoned. The article aims to raise awareness amongst practitioners across a range of fie Ids of practice about the issues faced by the children of prisoners, and to document effective and collaborative practices which enable the impact of parental incarceration to be managed and minimised for the children involved. The paper is based on data gathered for a study examining the impact of maternal incarceration on young people conducted by one of the authors. Through focusing on one family, the paper discusses the increasing phenomenon of mothers in prison and the challenges this presents both to their families and to practitioners. The paper concludes by reflecting on the process and suggests that collaborative work with the families of prisoners requires not just good intentions but resources, commitment from all parties, and mutually respectful relationships.

Type
Research Article
Information
Children Australia , Volume 33 , Issue 4 , 2008 , pp. 24 - 30
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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