How can social services create safer foster placements for children and young people?
2025-01-30This is one of the questions that Anna-Lena Almqvist, Professor of Social Work at Karlstad University, is exploring. Her current research focuses on the participation of children and young people in foster placements and how safer relationships can be created in vulnerable life situations.
Hello Anna-Lena! Can you tell us about your research?
"My main research areas are child welfare, men's work against violence, and LGBTQI-related issues. Currently, I am working on several projects. One of them examines how people within the LGBTQI community experience treatment from welfare actors, especially in healthcare, and the importance of relationships for this group."
"Another project focuses on the experiences of children and young people regarding matching in foster placements. I am also participating in a larger collaborative project between researchers from six Swedish universities, led by Stockholm University, which aims to develop knowledge support to strengthen the participation of children and young people in foster care matching. Through participatory workshops, we aim to gather insights and experiences to contribute to knowledge development within social services and create safer and more stable foster placements."
What do you see as the biggest challenge in creating safer foster placements for children and young people?
"One factor that can be influenced is how the participation of young people in this process can be improved. Young people are asking for more dialogue about their planned placements and feedback regarding their wishes about what the foster home should be like. This ties back to both Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 3, Good Health and Well-being."
From Mälardalen to Karlstad: A Research Journey
Anna-Lena started at Karlstad University in the autumn of 2024, coming most recently from Mälardalen University.
"During the pandemic, I chose to holiday in Sweden, and Karlstad was a "white spot" on the map. I became very fond of the city with its water and beautiful nature. What attracted me to Karlstad University was the interesting welfare research, as well as the centres CBU and FoU Välfärd Värmland."
What opportunities do you see in your role as a professor at Karlstad University?
"I want to contribute my experiences and knowledge to both the subject and the institution, and in the long run, also to the university as a whole. I look forward to collaborations with colleagues from different backgrounds and areas of expertise in both research and teaching, as well as with more practice-oriented anchoring."
"For me, it is important to contribute knowledge to support people in vulnerable life situations and to give a voice to those rarely heard. Knowledge that makes a difference and that practitioners, students, and other researchers can take part in and use."



