Understanding a Parent’s Visitation Capacity After a Care Order
The ability of parents to maintain visitation with their child after a care order is a complex aspect of child welfare. While visitation is widely recognized as essential for preserving family bonds and supporting potential reunification, less attention has been given to how broader life circumstanc...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Social Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/4/221 |
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| author | Tina Gerdts-Andresen Anette Ødegård Eriksen |
| author_facet | Tina Gerdts-Andresen Anette Ødegård Eriksen |
| author_sort | Tina Gerdts-Andresen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The ability of parents to maintain visitation with their child after a care order is a complex aspect of child welfare. While visitation is widely recognized as essential for preserving family bonds and supporting potential reunification, less attention has been given to how broader life circumstances influence a parent’s ability to engage in visitation. This study explores how parents describe their life situation after a care order and examines how different contextual factors may relate to their visitation capacity. The study employs thematic analysis based on interviews with 31 parents whose children were placed in public care. The findings reveal that parents face multiple barriers that affect their ability to sustain meaningful contact with their child, including emotional and psychological strain, social isolation and stigma, trust and cooperation challenges, and shifting parent–child relationship dynamics. Many parents described profound distress following the care order, marked by anxiety, grief, and loss of parental identity. Additionally, strained relationships with child welfare professionals, inconsistent expectations, and systemic barriers further complicate their efforts to remain engaged. These findings highlight that visitation capacity is not merely a matter of legal access but is shaped by broader life circumstances, emotional resilience, and institutional support structures. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b6836c0e240a486698fb4868b6b8f51e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-0760 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-b6836c0e240a486698fb4868b6b8f51e2025-08-20T03:13:32ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602025-04-0114422110.3390/socsci14040221Understanding a Parent’s Visitation Capacity After a Care OrderTina Gerdts-Andresen0Anette Ødegård Eriksen1Faculty of Social Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, 0130 Oslo, NorwayChild Welfare Service, Municipality of Drammen, 3008 Drammen, NorwayThe ability of parents to maintain visitation with their child after a care order is a complex aspect of child welfare. While visitation is widely recognized as essential for preserving family bonds and supporting potential reunification, less attention has been given to how broader life circumstances influence a parent’s ability to engage in visitation. This study explores how parents describe their life situation after a care order and examines how different contextual factors may relate to their visitation capacity. The study employs thematic analysis based on interviews with 31 parents whose children were placed in public care. The findings reveal that parents face multiple barriers that affect their ability to sustain meaningful contact with their child, including emotional and psychological strain, social isolation and stigma, trust and cooperation challenges, and shifting parent–child relationship dynamics. Many parents described profound distress following the care order, marked by anxiety, grief, and loss of parental identity. Additionally, strained relationships with child welfare professionals, inconsistent expectations, and systemic barriers further complicate their efforts to remain engaged. These findings highlight that visitation capacity is not merely a matter of legal access but is shaped by broader life circumstances, emotional resilience, and institutional support structures.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/4/221child welfarevisitation capacitypublic careparent–child relationship |
| spellingShingle | Tina Gerdts-Andresen Anette Ødegård Eriksen Understanding a Parent’s Visitation Capacity After a Care Order Social Sciences child welfare visitation capacity public care parent–child relationship |
| title | Understanding a Parent’s Visitation Capacity After a Care Order |
| title_full | Understanding a Parent’s Visitation Capacity After a Care Order |
| title_fullStr | Understanding a Parent’s Visitation Capacity After a Care Order |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding a Parent’s Visitation Capacity After a Care Order |
| title_short | Understanding a Parent’s Visitation Capacity After a Care Order |
| title_sort | understanding a parent s visitation capacity after a care order |
| topic | child welfare visitation capacity public care parent–child relationship |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/4/221 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tinagerdtsandresen understandingaparentsvisitationcapacityafteracareorder AT anetteødegarderiksen understandingaparentsvisitationcapacityafteracareorder |