Matching in practice: how to find the right family foster home for the right child

The concept of matching refers to the process of selecting a family foster home to fit an individual child in placement. Matching is important for the quality of care, as the carers need the necessary resources to meet the child’s needs. Failure in matching can have negative consequences, such as a ‘breakdown’. The aim of this article is to explore the social workers’ practice when matching children and foster carers to ensure the children will receive good care and avoid a placement change. The article uses a qualitative approach and is based on interviews with 31 participants. Social workers and managers at municipal social services, as well as consultants, were interviewed about their work. The professionals reflected on what aspects they perceive as most important in matching and what challenges they encounter that complicate the process. Narratives of successful matches often focused on the characteristics, competence and experience of the foster carers to meet the needs of the children. Some of the challenges highlighted were time pressure and a lack of family foster homes to choose from. This means that professionals have to compromise and prioritise what is most important in relation to the needs of the child.