Authors

• Hytönen, Kirsi-Maria (University of Jyväskylä)
• Markkola, Pirjo (University of Jyväskylä)
• Kuronen, Marjo (University of Jyväskylä)
• Korkiakangas, Pirjo (University of Jyväskylä)
• Oksanen, Johanna (University of Jyväskylä)
• Malinen, Antti (University of Jyväskylä)
• Salenius, Paula (University of Jyväskylä)
• Junkala, Pekka (University of Jyväskylä)
• Haikari, Janne (University of Jyväskylä)
• Tawah, Sanna (University of Jyväskylä)

Keywords

child protection, childhood, children in care, family life, foster care, foster children, foster parents, life cycle, residential child care, social care

Abstract

The data consists of interviews with people who spent their childhood in foster care. In the interviews, the respondents talk extensively about their own childhood memories and life experiences. The interviewees were placed or fostered either in a foster family, children's home, reform school or other child protection institution between 1940 and 1990.

First, the interviewees were asked about their early childhood and what kind of family they were born into. They were also asked about their experience of foster care and what they remembered about their first foster placement, as well as what they thought was the reason for the fostering. This was followed by questions about the foster-care placements and foster families and the kind of life the interviewee had lived. There was also an interest in contact with biological parents and also with social services during the foster-care placements and what kind of support the interviewee had received during his or her life. Interviewees were also asked about their experiences after the foster-care placements and about their current life, career and family situation. Finally, the interviewee was asked how he or she felt the foster-care placement had affected his or her life in general.

The background data include the interviewee's year of birth within five years, gender, region of residence, education, occupation and information of the different foster-care placements. The data were organised into an easy to use HTML version at FSD.