I Thought I Was the Adult in This House: Boundary Ambiguity for Parents Involved in the Foster Care System

摘要

In this study, at-risk parents' perceptions of boundary ambiguity on involvement with child protective services were examined. The sample included 22 parents who were at risk for having their children placed in foster care. A mixed methods concurrent triangulation design was used, where both quantitative and qualitative data were collected, analyzed separately, and integrated when interpretations of the data were made. Qualitative results included themes of ambiguous loss and boundary ambiguity, family of origin factors, and indicators of family functioning. Quantitatively, the majority of families demonstrated signs of problematic family functioning and attachment. Implications for practitioners and researchers are discussed.