Abstract:
To study psychological experiences of foster mothers when returning children to families. Phenomenological qualitative method was used. Data were collected by interviewing 9 foster mothers and categorized into themes. The results were as follow: Regarding to psychological state of foster mothers when returning children to families, they had the feelings of sadness and loss. They were worried about the children’s daily life and at the same time, they were happy when children found their adoptive families and returned to their families. These feelings would be more or less depending to the period of foster care, knowing schedule of returning children to families, children’s actions when separating, and children’s well-being after returning to their families. Hence, the foster mothers had methods to manage such feelings through self-relaxing, avoiding, thinking process for self-acceptance and self-comfort, caring a new child, and psychological support from significant persons. Moreover, they realized their roles and duties by knowing that it was impossible to hold the child. They accepted the fact of separation. They understood the life circle of being foster mothers. This study can be implemented as a guideline for counseling foster mothers as well as planning for foster care development in order to decrease or prevent the factors causing negative effect on foster mothers.