Perceived Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown on the Family Context of Foster and Non-Foster Families

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown have had a far-reaching impact across all levels of society. In Spain,severe restrictions were placed on people’s mobility, and leaving the home was only possible under special circumstances.This study analyzes the impact of lockdown on the family context of foster and non-foster families, focusing particularly ontheir levels of cohesion, adaptability, and perceived stress. It also examines a series of variables that may have influencedfoster families’ perceptions of their family context during lockdown. Data were gathered through an online survey that wascompleted by 347 individuals corresponding to 100 foster families and 247 non-foster families from different regions ofSpain. Analyses were descriptive and exploratory in nature. The results appear to suggest that lockdown has had a greaterimpact on the family context of non-foster families. With respect to foster families’ experiences of lockdown, variables suchas loss of employment and having a child with special educational needs would seem to be important. For both types offamilies, lockdown has provided an opportunity to improve certain aspects of their family context. Given that furtherlockdowns of some degree may be necessary in the future, it is important to ensure that families have access to thepsychoeducational resources they need to maintain, as far as possible, a positive family context.