ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the role and value of a preparatory residential placement for children entering foster care, with particular reference to a new and innovative fostering service in Ireland. The Lisdeel Family Placement Initiative (LFPI) was set up as a response to the perceived deficiencies in the provision of foster care by the Irish state. The service has been piloted over a three year period1 and this chapter is based on findings from a formative evaluation of the service that took place over two and a half years. Children referred to the Initiative remain in the residential unit for approximately one year while a wide range of services are combined to prepare the child for fostering. This chapter looks first at the role of the preparatory placement and documents the range of interventions and people involved in the preparation process for the first ten children referred. The chapter also identifies the unique and creative ways in which this work has been carried out and finally, explores the value of the preparatory placement through the perspectives of the various stakeholders; the children's birth and extended families, and the service providers.
