Professionalization of foster parents and child's interests

For 30 years, in France, foster care has been regulated by specific legislation which provides for the professionalization of one of the foster parents - the mother, more often than not. The authors - clinical psychologists - analyse the impact of the last legislation on foster care. A recent law aims to consider foster care as a job like any other, at the risk of underestimating the specificity of this social function, that is, offering to a child in trouble with his own family an ordinary living environment and the "ordinary" parenting skills of foster parents. The authors suggest ways to conceive the professionalization of foster parents in order that it will meet the child's interests and needs. (C) 2011 Societe francaise de psychologie. Publie par Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits reserves.