"You need to walk in their shoes": Foster carers' views on what makes a good foster carer.

Foster carers offer an important form of support for vulnerable families who, either temporarily or in the longer term, are unable to provide day-to-day care for their children.Much has been written from a professional perspective about the qualities which foster carers should possess in order to provide good quality care for children and their families, but rarely have the views of foster carers themselves been canvassed as to 'what makes a good foster carer'. This paper will fill a gap in our knowledge by presenting the views of 115 foster carers interviewed in the Mackay/Whitsunday region in 2002-3. Unlike other recent Australian studies with foster carers, this research included relative, Indigenous and male carers, as well as the more numerous female General carers. Thus, this paper provides a comprehensive view of the shared and diverse ways in which practising foster carers in early 21st century regional Australia conceptualise the qualities they feel they need to meet the challenges of their role in supporting vulnerable families. Implications for education, support and professional supervision will be identified.