Factors Affecting Flemish, Lithuanian and Latvian Foster Parents' Perception of Problem Behaviour and Support Needs

Matthias De Coster; Johan Vanderfaeillie; Delphine West; Camille Verheyden; Tamara Pigozne; Jolanta Pivorienė; Frank Van Holen

doi:10.1111/cfs.70017

journal article Jul 23, 2025

Factors Affecting Flemish, Lithuanian and Latvian Foster Parents' Perception of Problem Behaviour and Support Needs

Matthias De Coster

Johan Vanderfaeillie

Delphine West

Camille Verheyden

Tamara Pigozne Jolanta Pivorienė

Frank Van Holen

Child & Family Social Work Vol. 31 No. 2 pp. 1280-1293 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1111/cfs.70017

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Emotional and behavioural problems are common among children in foster care. Foster parents usually are the first to notice problematic behaviour and to estimate support needs. They consider themselves experts for that matter. However, it is unknown what impacts the decisions they make in that regard. A total of 443 Flemish, Lithuanian and Latvian foster parents participated in a study set up to examine how foster parents perceive problem behaviour and extra support needs in foster children and their foster parents. The case factors gender of the foster child, type of problem behaviour and parenting quality; the decision‐maker factors control and number of foster children; and the external factor nationality were of overall influence. Other factors' impact was more spread. Foster parents' judgement on the presence of emotional and behavioural problems and their subsequent decision on a course of action for foster children proves them to be consistent. The indirect impact a foster care system that knows interventions aimed partially or entirely at dealing with problem behaviour had on all three decisions points out the importance of supporting foster parents.

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Published: Jul 23, 2025
Vol/Issue: 31(2)
Pages: 1280-1293
License: View

Authors

M

Matthias De Coster

Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Psychology Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels Belgium

J

Johan Vanderfaeillie

Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Psychology Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels Belgium

D

Delphine West

Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Psychology Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels Belgium

C

Camille Verheyden

Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Psychology Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels Belgium

T

Tamara Pigozne

Rēzeknes Tehnoloģiju Akadēmija Rēzekne Latvia

J

Jolanta Pivorienė

Faculty of Human and Social Studies Mykolo Romerio Universitetas Vilnius Lithuania

F

Frank Van Holen

Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Psychology Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels Belgium; Pleegzorg Vlaams‐Brabant en Brussel Brussels Belgium

Cite This Article

Matthias De Coster, Johan Vanderfaeillie, Delphine West, et al. (2025). Factors Affecting Flemish, Lithuanian and Latvian Foster Parents' Perception of Problem Behaviour and Support Needs. Child & Family Social Work, 31(2), 1280-1293. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.70017

Factors Affecting Flemish, Lithuanian and Latvian Foster Parents' Perception of Problem Behaviour and Support Needs

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