일반위탁가정 부모의 역할경험에 대한 질적 연구

A Qualitative Research on Foster Parents’ Role Experiences

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of role of foster parents with their foster care children and derived the meaning of the foster parents' experience. For this purpose, we interviewed six foster parents with school-aged foster care children and analyzed the collected data using the phenomenological approach. As a result, five components, sixteen sub-components, and thirty-seven meaning units were emerged. The five theme categories are as follows: (1) foster children in middle-aged life, (2) perceptions regarding foster children, (3) confusion and stress to being foster parents, (4) liminal space between birth family and foster family, (5) justifications for continuing foster care. This study suggests that the meaning of parenthood for foster parents is derived by examining the daily difficulties experienced in rearing school-aged foster children and the process of overcoming difficulties. The results of this study provide academic data for the development of intervention programs for foster parents and families with foster care children. This study will help to find out a practical education program that are appropriate for needs of foster parents.