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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A Comparison of Foster Care Reentry After Adoption in Two Large U.S. States

Nancy Rolock, Kevin R. White, Kerrie Ocasio, Lixia Zhang, Michael J. MacKenzie, Rowena Wong - Research on Social Work Practice , 04 Jul 2018

This study from the Special Issue on Adoption Breakdown of the journal of Research on Social Work Practice examines foster care reentry after adoption, in Illinois and New Jersey, USA.

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The moderating effects of ethnicity on key predictors of trauma in child welfare involved adolescents

Micki Washburn, L. Christian Carr, Alan J. Dettlaff - Journal of Adolescence, 04 Jul 2018

In this study, key predictors of trauma were examined using a multi-group analysis of a nationally representative sample of 716 child welfare involved youth ages 11–17.

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Country Care Review: Russian Federation

Better Care Network, 03 Jul 2018

This country care review includes the care related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Permanency and the Educational and Economic Attainment of Former Foster Children in Early Adulthood

Sarah A. Font, Lawrence M. Berger, Maria Cancian, Jennifer L. Noyes - American Sociological Review, 03 Jul 2018

This study examined educational attainment and earnings among former foster youth in early adulthood.

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The Needs of Carers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People in Foster Care in Australia: A Systematic Literature Review

Djala Kalinin, Dr John Gilroy, Aunty Sue Pinckham - Macquarie University and The University of Sydney, 01 Jul 2018

The purpose of this study is to support the funding of Aboriginal-controlled research on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children under government-administered foster care arrangements.

Tools for Transformation: Building a Compassionate Child Welfare System - Recommendations from Foster Care Alumni

Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), 01 Jul 2018

CCAI’s Foster Youth Internship Program® is a highly esteemed congressional internship for young adults who spent their formative years in the U.S. foster care system. In this annual policy report, the interns focus on subjects they are personally passionate about due to their experiences and understanding after living in foster care and make personal recommendations for improving the U.S. foster care system.

Housing for Young Adults in Extended Federally Funded Foster Care

Amy Dworsky and Denali Dasgupta - Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, 01 Jul 2018

This brief begins to address knowledge gaps of best practices for housing young adults in extended care, the housing options currently available to those young adults, and how those options vary across and within states in the US.

Memo from CalYOUTH: Differences in Social Support at Age 19 by Extended Foster Care Status and Placement Type

Nathanael J. Okpych, Keunhye Park, Huiling Feng, Adrianna Torres García, and Mark E. Courtney - Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, 01 Jul 2018

This memo investigates two questions that pertain to extended foster care and social support. First, are there differences in the types and sources of social support between young people who remain in care past age 18 and young people who exit care? Second, among nonminor dependents, are there differences in the types and sources of social support between youth living in different placement types?

Fostering Better Outcomes: The Government response to the Education Select Committee report into fostering and Foster Care in England

Department for Education, 01 Jul 2018

This paper sets out the government’s response to two reports into foster care: The Education Select Committee Inquiry into Fostering and the Foster Care in England report, an independent review commissioned by the Department for Education. The response describes the government’s vision for foster care and improvements for the system, based on the recommendations of the two reports.

Recognition of education and schooling in case files for children and young people placed in out-of-home care

Ingrid Höjer, Helena Lindberg, Bo Nielsen, Jan-Eric Gustafsson, Helena Johansson - Children and Youth Services Review, 30 Jun 2018

The aim of the article is to describe and discuss how issues related to schooling and educational achievement are recognized and addressed in social services case files for children and young people placed in out-of-home care (OHC) in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden.

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