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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Better Care Network, 06 Jun 2012

The People’s Republic of China issued its third and fourth combined report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in June 2012. This extract of the report focuses on sections relevant to children's care and in particular those addressing Family Environment and Alternative Care

Namibia: Standards for Foster Care Services

Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, Government of Republic of Namibia, 01 Jun 2012

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare (MGECW) of Namibia released the 2012 Foster Care Standards and Guidelines which are aimed to guide social workers and other service providers in recruiting, assessing, training, matching, supporting, supervising and monitoring foster care services. The Foster Care Guidelines assist in translating the Standards into day-to-day practices. These Standards and Guidelines with accompanying training manuals were prepared to strengthen supported family-based care for vulnerable and marginalized children.

Webinar on the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children (In FRENCH)

Better Care Network , 08 May 2012

On May 2, 2012, in preparation of the Family Strengthening and Alternative Care Conference for Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa in Dakar, Senegal, BCN and the regional planning committee convened experts and practitioners to present and discuss the efforts to implement the Guidelines for the Alternative Care in the region. Watch this video for presentations, country level experience from Togo, and discussions on the pressing issues facing implementation in the region.

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Thari Ya Bana: Reflections on Children in Botswana 2011

University of Botswana and UNICEF , 02 May 2012

Collection of research and reflections on children’s issues in Botswana articles in the various chapters of the publication have been structured to follow the life cycle of the child as she or he grows and is faced with different issues that need to be addressed: young child survival; child development; child protection; HIV and AIDS; and child-sensitive social protection.

Looked After Children Knowledge, Skills and Competence of Health Care Staff

The Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health , 01 May 2012

This document provides an outline for the competencies, training and skills needed by healthcare staff to work with looked after children at different professional levels in the UK. It recognizes that all health staff should have access to appropriate training, learning opportunities, and support to fulfill their roles and responsibilities, particularly when it comes services provided to looked after children.

USA: Stepping Up for Kids -what government and communities should do to support kinship families

Annie E. Casey Foundation, 22 Apr 2012

This comprehensive policy report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation summarizes what is known about kinship care in the United States, identifies the problems and issues these families face, and recommends how best to support caregivers as they step up to take responsibility for children in their extended families and communities.

Placement stability in the context of child development

Marissa O'Neill, Christina Risley-Curtiss, Cecilia Ayón, Lela Rankin Williams - Children and Youth Services Review, 06 Mar 2012

This study used the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW, long term foster care general sample) data set to examine foster child and caregiver characteristics, and the caregiver–child relationship as a predictor of placement stability.

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Prisoners’ Childhood and Family Backgrounds - Results from the Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction (SPCR) Longitudinal Cohort Study of Prisoners

Kim Williams, Vea Papadopoulou and Natalie Booth - Ministry of Justice Analytical Services, UK , 01 Mar 2012

This report presents findings of a study on the childhood and family backgrounds of 1,435 participants who were newly incarcerated in 2005 and 2006 in the United Kingdom. The report has a special focus on the experiences of abuse and care placement in childhood.

De-institutionalisation of Services for Children in State are in Ireland: A Case Study of International Relevance

Robert H. Gilligan - Social Work Forum, 2012

This paper describes Ireland’s successful implementation of a policy of de-institutionalization of out-of-home care for children.

TransMonEE 2012 - key features

TransMonEE (Transformative Monitoring for Enhanced Equity), 2012

TransMonEE is a database that captures a vast range of data on social and economic issues relevant to the situation and wellbeing of children, adolescents and women in 28 countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Commonwealth of Independent States and the European Union. This document includes inter-country comparisons of data on several issues related to children’s care.