This report, from Ireland, provides a comprehensive exploration of the principles and practice of independent advocacy for children and young people with care experience, with a view to signposting what constitutes best practice in this field and proposing a model of advocacy practice which reflects the key themes arising. Resulting from a research project carried out with EPIC (Empowering People in Care), the report draws from the views of those who have experienced advocacy as children and young adults, those who have provided advocacy as professional independent advocates, management personnel responsible for the provision of those services in the context of EPIC and significant stakeholders in the field of advocacy service provision. 

Kin and fictive kin involvement can be protective following maltreatment and contribute to the development of children’s strengths. Findings show that support from kin may positively influence strength development for youth in foster care. Professionals in foster care should prioritize kin involvement to enhance support and develop youth strengths.

This paper brings together care-experienced young people from South Africa and Northern Ireland, along with researchers and practitioners, to share experiences and advocate for improved systems for those transitioning from alternative care. Through reflection and collective learning, it highlights the issues that matter most to care leavers and offers ideas for strengthening policies, practices, and support.

This study examined 18 months of published Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews across England to identify the intersecting characteristics, vulnerabilities, harm types, indicators and issues with formal guardianship (safeguarding by carers, schools, local authorities, police and health professionals). Results revealed that children were missing, vulnerable, harmed and showed indicators of exploitation in numerous and intersecting ways.

The aim of this study was to examine the academic trajectories of children in out-of-home care (OOCH) and whether kinship care has a protective effect relative to nonkin foster care.

This article explores evidence which shows that the use of ‘private family arrangements’ is motivated partly by a concern for subsidiarity, and partly by necessity: they provide a source of placements in cases where regulatory requirements and a lack of resources would otherwise make the placement challenging or impossible.

This paper reports the findings from a small qualitative study into child fosterage undertaken in Namibia in 2019.

There is little empirical evidence on how to improve the well‐being and safety of children in informal kinship care in Ghana. Thus, this study reports findings from in‐depth interviews with 15 young people, 18 to 23 years, from Banda—an ethnic group where informal kinship care is an accepted cultural practice.

This chapter examines the cultural logic of child care in Africa, focusing on one variation of fosterage, okutekula, among the Ova-ambo in Northern Namibia.

The authors of this study conducted a qualitative 2-year study to investigate informal caregivers’ motivations, assets, and needs.