Topic A: Evaluating your competences from your work and the training
For each question: Please spend five minutes to reflect upon and discuss each of the questions below.
Then spend another five minutes discussing what competences this gave you as a general competence for foster parents.
One of the participants can take notes and keep an eye on the time.


Use the form above for the discussion of competences developed.


The foster child’s competence development in practical skills and relational skills:


The child may have had smaller or bigger problems when it was placed with you, you should take this into consideration when you answer these questions. You should also consider the age of the child:

  • What do you think about the development of the child’s practical skills – has the child improved in learning for example to put on the clothes itself, get a stable daily rhythm, do its homework, ride a bicycle, etc.? In short, has it learned to do practical things by itself, compared to other children of the same age?



Please describe the competences you have acquired as foster parents from your daily experiences and the FAIRstart training in supporting the development of children’s practical skills.
For example:
“I have learned that foster care children need a secure base and a stable daily rhythm without a lot of changes and activities”
– or whatever you find an important lesson.


  • What do you think about the child’s relational skills: has the child improved in the way it relates and attaches to you? If the child had avoidant or ambivalent behaviour in relating to you at the beginning of placement, has this behaviour disappeared or diminished? Does the child come to you for help, protection, soothing? What do you think about the child’s social competence development with peers– the way it is able to relate to your own children or to other children (friendships, ability to relate to others at school, etc.)?


Please describe the competences you have acquired as foster parents from your daily experiences and the FAIRstart training in supporting the development of children’s relational skills.
For example:
“I have learned that it is important to feel with the child and not like the child – children from broken relations can respond in disorganized ways to care, and we are no longer upset by this”



The foster child’s ability to handle separations and develop a clear identity

  • Is the child aware of how loss and separations have affected it? Has the child developed an understanding of how to get over separations? Does the child still show intense physical and emotional reactions to separations (such as panicking), or is it able to be calm when separating from you or other important persons? Can the child describe how it tries to manage separations?


Please describe the competences you have acquired as foster parents from your daily experiences and the FAIRstart training in helping children handle separation anxiety.


  • Does the child have an idea about who it is? Does the child know how different caregivers have contributed to who it is today? Can the child describe this?


Please describe the competences you have acquired as foster parents from your daily experiences and the FAIRstart training in helping children create a clear identity in spite of having different backgrounds.


Developing the social network of the child

  • Looking at your relations with your local network (your relatives, neighbours, school teachers, etc.), please mention three important topics in your cooperation that have been helpful for the child.


Please describe the competences you have acquired as foster parents from your daily experiences and the FAIRstart training in creating an accepting and open minded social network that is helpful for the child.


  • Looking at your experiences in cooperating with authorities about the placement, please mention three important topics in your cooperation that have been helpful for the child.



Please describe the competences you have acquired as foster parents from your daily experiences and the FAIRstart training in cooperating with authorities.

  • Looking at your cooperation with biological parents, please mention three important topics in your cooperation that have been helpful for the child.


Please describe the competences you have acquired as foster parents from your daily experiences and the FAIRstart training in cooperating with the biological parents of foster children.
For example: “I have learned to show the child that we respect its own parents in spite of problems and that this helps the child respect itself”


  • (If relevant for this foster care placement) Looking at your work with the child’s transition from childhood to youth and in leaving your care, please mention three important topics that have been helpful to the teenager.


Please describe the competences you have acquired as foster parents from your daily experiences and the FAIRstart training in helping the child go through the teen age and leave foster care.

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