Experiences in the relationship between foster children and foster parents in specialized foster care—Thematic analysis conducted on five minute speech sample-data

• The relationship between children and young people in foster care and their foster parents is of great importance for the children’s and young person’s development. Very few studies exist of this relationship in a specialized foster care context • This study found that both the foster children, young people and their foster parents struggle with defining their relationship and relates to an idealized norm for what constitutes a ‘real’ family. • A mutual ambition to create a meaningful and good relationship can overcome the difficulties found in the professional foster family constellation. • Time appears as a central theme that affects the relationship. • Taken together with previous research, this study show the necessity of creating safer and more stable upbringing conditions for some of society’s most vulnerable children.