CV Ingrid Höjer

2008-10-01

Name: Ingrid Höjer

Position:PhD, Senior Lecturer

E-mail:

Telephone:0046-31-786 15 68

/ I am a senior lecturer and researcher at the Department of Social work. I teach courses on both bachelors and masters levels. My research has mostly been focused on child welfare, and social work with children and families. Before joining the University of Gothenburg in 1995, I was a qualified social worker for 18 years.

Teaching

Children in Exposed Situations of Life, 15 higher education credits. Advanced level.

Further Education for Social Workers Specialising in Foster Care, Focusing on Supervision of Foster Carers, 30 higher education credits. Advanced level.

Children and Family – Living Conditions and Social Context, 7,5 higher education credits. Bachelor level

Social Problems and Social Work – Theory and Practice, 10,5 higher education credits. International Master – Advanced level.

Research

Current projects

Parenting While Apart – the experiences of birth parents of children in long –term foster care

The aim of the study is to gain knowledge of how parent’s with children in care experience their parenthood. Although the role of birth parents is recognised to be a key issue for foster children, the experience of birth parents has received less attention from researchers than the experience of foster carers and foster children. This study is therefore being developed in collaboration with the University of Bergen (Dr Toril Havik and Bente Moldestad) and the University of East Anglia (Professor Gillian Schofield). The study is financed by Stiftelsen Allmänna Barnhuset.

What happened after leaving care?

This study is a follow-up from the study Transition from care to independent life. 16 young people and their biological parents, former carers and social workers have been interviewed to find out what experienced they have had of independent life since they left care. The study will run from October 2007 to September 2008. The study is financed by Stiftelsen Allmänna Barnhuset.

Young people from a Public Care Background: pathways to education in Europe (YIPPEE).

Financed by the EU Seventh Framework Program. Five participating countries: UK, Denmark, Hungary, Spain and Sweden. Coordinator Thomas Coram Research Unit, London. The study will run from January 2008 to September 2010.

The overall aim of the proposed project is to investigate educational pathways among young men and women from a public care background in education after the end of compulsory schooling; and to examine how more young people from this background can be retained in further and higher education.

Life after care. Young people's transition from care to independent life.

This study will start in September 2008, and will run until August 2010.

The aim is to find out about the transition from care to independent life for young people leaving foster care and residential care. What support to they ask for, and what support are they given? How do they find ways to establish themselves? The study is financed by The Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research.

Completed projects

The Inner Life of the Foster Family.

1997 - 2001

The aim of the project was to investigate the impact of fostering on the foster family.

Growing up with foster siblings.

2001- 2005

The aim of the project was to find out how the impact of fostering on the sons and daughters of foster carers

In the best interest of the child? Enforcement of contact orders.

2002-2005

The aim of this study was to focus on how the principle of the best interest of the child is conceived and identified in the legal process connected to enforcement of contact orders.

Transition from care to independent life

2006-2007

Joint project with dr. Yvonne Sjöblom, University of Stockholm. The aim of the study was to investigate how young care leavers perceive their transition from being in care to an independent life.

Networks

I am a member of the research program Parenting and Childhood in Modern Family Cultures, led by professor Margareta Bäck-Wiklund.

I have an ongoing collaboration with Thomas Coram Research Unit in London (see the YIPPEE project)

I am a member of the international network Transitions to Adulthood for Young People Leaving Public Care, led by professor Harriet Ward, Loughborough University, and professor Mike Stein, York University.

I am collaborating with researchers from East Anglia University, UK (professor Gillian Schofield) and Barnevernets Forskningssenter i Bergen (Toril Havik and Bente Moldestad) (See Parenting While Apart)

Representative publications

-Höjer, I (2008) Sweden. In Stein, M & Munro, E (Eds) Young People’s Transitions from Care to Adulthood: International Research and Practice. Jessica Kingsley Publishers: London

-Höjer, I (2007) Föräldrars röster – hur är det att ha sina barn placerade i fosterhem? Stockholm: Stiftelsen Allmänna barnhuset 2007:2.

-Höjer, I & Röbäck, K (2007) Barn i kläm – hur uppmärksammas barn i mål om verkställighet av umgänge. Stockholm: Stiftelsen Allmänna Barnhuset 2007:1.

-Höjer, I (2007) Sons and daughters of foster carers and the impact of fostering on their everyday life. In Child and Family Social work. Vol. 12 Issue 1, pp 73 – 83.

-Höjer, I & Nordenfors, M (2006) Att leva med fostersyskon. Rapport i skriftserien, 2006:5 Institutionen för socialt arbete, Göteborgs universitet

-Höjer, I (2006) Sweden. In Colton, M & Williams, M (eds.) Global Perspectives on Foster Family Care. Russel House Publishing: Lyme Regis

-Höjer, I (2004) ”What happens in the foster family?”. Adoption and Fostering , vol.28, nr 1, spring 2004, p 38 - 48. London: BAAF

-Höjer, I & Nordenfors, M (2004) “Living with foster siblings – what impact has fostering on the biological children of foster carers?” In Eriksson H-G & Tjelflaat, T (eds.) Residential Care, Horizons for the New Century. Ashgate.

-Höjer, I (2002)”Den belönade utmaningen”. I Nordiskt Socialt Arbeid nr. 2. Oslo.

-Höjer, I (2001) ”Fosterfamiljens inre liv”. Avhandling. Göteborgs universitet.