Foster Care | Better Care Network

Foster Care

The term “foster care” is used in a variety of ways, and, consequently, it often causes confusion and miscommunication. In the industrialized world it is generally used to refer to formal, temporary placements made by the State with families that are trained, monitored and compensated at some level. In many developing countries, however, fostering is kinship care or other placement with a family, the objective(s) of which may include the care of the child, the child’s access to education, and/or the child’s doing some type of work for the foster family.

Such care is informal and unregulated by the State. Foster care can also be understood as formal care, typically provided by adults who are not related to the child, but may include formalized kinship care. It is usually for a limited period until the child can return home or move into a more permanent placement such as adoption.

In emergency situations, such as armed conflict, informal fostering often occurs spontaneously when a family takes in an unaccompanied child. Also, in some emergency situations, agencies have organized a quasi-formal type of foster care to ensure immediate, family-based care for unaccompanied children. Such foster care should be formally arranged by the local authority or child protection organisation and include assessing each child’s best interests; screening, training, and monitoring of caretakers; and planning for the longer term needs of each child.

Foster care can provide the advantages of family-based care within a child’s own community. In some situations, particularly spontaneous care initiated during an emergency, it can become de facto adoption in settings where State child protection services and formalization of care arrangements are very limited or do not exist.

Foster care plays an important role in a situation where a child’s own family is not providing adequately for his or her care. It can provide protection and care for the child while the family situation is improved, with the eventual aim of family reunification.

It is vital that children are provided opportunities to express their wishes and concerns regarding with whom they live and have contact. The appointment of a legal guardian is a means of ensuring their opinions are taken into account.

Foster caretakers often receive support to meet the child’s needs and prevent placement breakdown. This may include parenting guidance and access to basic services for the child. Payment for care requires thoughtful consideration and should not encourage the separation of children from their families, or the use of a child for financial gain. All placements should be regulated to ensure the standards of care protect the child and encourage her development.

This body of literature provides examples from around the world of spontaneous, informal and formal fostering. It includes guidance on standards of care and child care policy.

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Foster Families in Moldova Provide Safety and Protection for Children Fleeing Conflict from Ukraine

UNICEF, 03 Mar 2023

Alexander is one of many Ukrainian teenagers who fled to Moldova unaccompanied. Thanks to the partnership between border police, child protection specialists working with UNICEF and local authorities, he was identified and integrated into a foster family from Causeni. Since the onset of the conflict, one of UNICEF's biggest priorities has been to protect children from abuse or trafficking.

Learning Brief: Family-Based Alternative Care

Changing the Way We Care, 01 Feb 2023

This learning brief was developed as part of Changing the Way We Care's 2022 annual report and shares learning on family-based alternative care from Guatemala, Moldova, India and Kenya and links the reader to additional CTWWC resources on the topic.

Foster Children Avoidance-Related Interactive Behaviors With Caregivers

Pauline Simon, Anne Plantade-Gipch, Alain Blanchet, Nathalie Duriez, 2023

The purpose of this study, based in France, is to explore the Emotion Regulation Strategies (ERS) of children in foster care and to highlight those most commonly employed in family or placement contexts.

Transformation of Out-of-Home Services for Children in North Macedonia: Towards Individualized and Child Tailored Care

Natasha Bogoevska, Suzana Bornarova, Sofija Georgievska, 31 Dec 2022

This article reviews the key reform processes in the domain of social protection in the the Republic of North Macedonia, with a focus on social services for children without parents and parental care.

What do Childcare Professionals Agree on When they Propose Non-Kin Foster Care? // ¿Con Qué Están de Acuerdo los Profesionales Para Proponer un Acogimiento en Familia Ajena?

Rosa Sitjes-Figueras, Joan Llosada-Gistau, Carme Montserrat, 30 Dec 2022

The aim of this article is to analyse the factors that intervene in decision-making by childcare professionals regarding non-kin foster care in the north-east of Spain.

Foster Caring as ‘Professional Parenting’: A Grounded Theory of the Relationships Between Parent and Professional in Long-Term Foster Care

Megan Hollett, Alex Hassett, Virginia Lumsden, 13 Dec 2022

This UK-based study aimed to develop an explanatory theory and model of the processes involved in fostering looked after children and the relationship between the roles of parent and professional.

Foster caring as ‘professional parenting’: A grounded theory of the relationships between parent and professional in long-term foster care

Economic Conditions and the Number of Children in Foster Care

Ioana Marinescu, Fei Tan, Johanna K.P. Greeson, 29 Nov 2022

In this U.S.-based study, the authors found that increasing the affordability of fostering a child could increase foster care capacity. They examine the impacts of changing economic conditions on the number of children in foster care.

Addressing the Need for Foster Care in the Context of the Ukraine Crisis

Ukraine Children's Care Group, 15 Nov 2022

This document is a summary of key findings and points of discussion that were highlighted by presenters and participants during the Addressing the need for foster care in the context of the Ukraine crisis learning event that took place on 7 September 2022.

Sibling Separation: Learning from Those with Former Foster Care Experiences

Armeda Stevenson Wojciak, Olivia Tomfohrde, Jessica E Simpson, Jeffrey Waid, 14 Nov 2022

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine sibling relationships and sibling separation amongst adults with prior foster care experience in England.

Transition from Foster Care: A Cross Sectional Comparison of Youth Outcomes Twenty Years Apart

Thom Reilly, David Schlinkert, 12 Nov 2022

In this cross-sectional comparative study, the authors assess the outcomes of emancipated youth in the U.S. after the initiation of an extended after care program and compare the results with the outcomes drawn from a prior study conducted twenty years earlier. Overall, young adults in the 2021 study fared significantly better than their 2001 counterparts.