Motivation, expectations, and needs of foster parents

Introduction: In the Czech Republic, there is a lack of research examining the motivations and expectations of foster parents, as well as how foster care fulfils their needs. One of the main reasons why we are addressing this issue is that institutional care for children under the age of 3 was abolished at the end of 2024 and replaced by family care. Objectives: The paper aims to examine the experiences of individuals in the process of providing foster care. Methods: The research was carried out using a qualitative research strategy. The research population was foster parents from the Moravian-Silesian region. The data were collected through a semi-structured interview technique and analysed by a thematic analysis method. Results: The results showed that drug addiction and problems with their offspring or neglect of their own children were important motives for foster care among kinship foster parents. For non-kinship foster parents, the main motivation was an inability to have their own child and the desire to fulfill the parental role. Conclusion: It is important to remember that each foster parent enters this role with different motivations, expectations, and individual needs. Therefore, we need to focus on understanding the motives and needs of foster parents in order to offer them effective support.