«Helt som normalt.» Foreldresamarbeid i barnehagen når en forelder er alvorlig syk av en dødelig sykdom

The study investigates parental collaboration and care in kindergarten when a child’s parent is affected by a serious, life-threatening illness. The research question is: What characterises kindergarten teachers’ negotiation of the collaboration contract between the home and kindergarten when a mother or father becomes seriously ill and dies?

The results show that the collaborative relationship between kindergarten teachers and parents is characterised by three main elements: changed conditions in the old contract, renegotiation through formal parental collaboration, and intermediaries. The study indicates that the responsibility for adapting parental collaboration cannot be left solely to the parents’ initiative, and that grief support and collaboration during serious illnesses should be included as part of the kindergarten’s obligations.

The researchers analyse kindergarten practice and the collaborative relationship between kindergarten teachers and parents during the period from when it became known that a parent was seriously ill until after the parent had passed away. The study involves a total of nine children from eight families. The data material is based on individual interviews with 18 kindergarten teachers from seven kindergartens. Twelve of the kindergarten teachers are pedagogical leaders and six are coordinators. 16 are women and 2 are men. The researchers use life-form interviews to identify detailed subjective experiences and reflections. The data material is then analysed through a repetitive, interpretive process, and using various analysis questions. 

Hogstad, I. J., & Grelland Røkholt, E. (2022). «Helt som normalt.» Foreldresamarbeid i barnehagen når en forelder er alvorlig syk av en dødelig sykdom. Nordisk barnehageforskning, 19(3), 215–235.