Samenvatting
Despite the foster child’s right to compatibility in worldview, culture, language, and ethnicity, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, many out-of-home placed children live in *trans*-worldview foster care. Due to a shortage of foster parents, many children face worldview differences between their birth and foster families. This study includes both religious and secular worldviews, as well as personal and organised worldviews on existential questions. Previous research predominantly focused on ethnic and cultural identity, with limited attention given to religion and worldview. It is important for foster children to develop their identity by becoming familiar with their birth family’s worldview. Strong co-parenting relationships, that recognise the role of the birth parent, support the child’s identity and placement stability.This qualitative study investigates how foster parents perceive worldview differences in co-parenting relationships. It aims to distinguish characteristics of successful and problematic collaborations, based on foster parents’ experiences and attitudes.
The analysis of 25 in-depth interviews indicates that co-parenting relationships can become complicated when birth parents are not well-informed during the matching process, prior to consenting to placement. In such cases, crucial worldview differences may remain unaddressed or may be beyond the birth parents’ imagination. Overcoming differences-within-worldviews can be as challenging as differences-between-worldviews. Strong worldview beliefs held by foster parents do not necessarily lead to tensions when foster parents maintain good co-parenting relationships and include the birth parents in the child’s life. However, when foster parents hold strong worldview beliefs and attempt to replace birth parents, tensions may arise.
