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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Youth participation in policy advocacy: Examination of a multi-state former and current foster care youth coalition

Astraea Augsberger, Julie Sweeney Springwater, Grace Hilliard Koshinsky, Kelsey Barber, Linda Sprague Martinez - Children and Youth Services Review, 09 Sep 2019

This study examined stakeholder views on the key elements and challenges of youth participation in policy advocacy in the context of a US multi-state current and former foster care youth coalition.

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Organisational models of health services for children and adolescents in out‐of‐home care: health technology assessment

T Mensah, A Hjern, K Håkanson, P Johansson, A K Jonsson, T Mattsson, S Tranæus, B Vinnerljung, P Östlund, G Klingberg - Acta Paediatrica, 04 Sep 2019

Decades of research confirm that children and adolescents in out‐of‐home care (foster family, residential care) have much greater healthcare needs than their peers. A systematic literature review was conducted to evaluate organizational healthcare models for this vulnerable group.

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Surviving Hurricane Michael - Helping Individuals with Serious and Persistent Mental Illness, Foster Families and Child Welfare Involved Families Prepare and Recover

Lawrence Allen, David Daniels, Angela Lee, Taryn Tasker, Carla Gayle Woffard - Journal of Family Strengths, 01 Sep 2019

This article highlights the experiences of staff who responded to the needs of individuals, families, and communities following Hurricane Michael in Florida, USA in October 2018 and is focused on the perspectives of individuals working in the field.

Pathways in a Forest: Indigenous Guidance on Prevention-Based Child Welfare

West Coast LEAF, 01 Sep 2019

This report explores the experiences of 64 Indigenous parents who have had engagement with the child welfare system in Canada. Their stories and expertise provide a wealth of knowledge about the strengths and weaknesses of current prevention-based efforts and programs. Their experiences demonstrate that, despite the Ministry for Children and Family Development’s (MCFD) emphasis on improving prevention-based services for Indigenous families, long-standing apprehension-focused practices continue to permeate the system.

Perspectives on kinship care, foster care and adoption in Scotland. Insights for policymakers and practitioners

Helen Whincup - University of Stirling, 01 Sep 2019

Part of the 'Permanently Progressing? Building secure futures for children in Scotland' study, this briefing draws upon the voices of children, carers and adoptive parents in Scotland, offering perspectives on kinship care, foster care and adoption.

Examining the Feasibility of Using Home Visiting Models to Support Home-Based Child Care Providers

Chrishana M. Lloyd, Maggie Kane, Deborah Seok, Claudia Vega - Child Trends, 01 Sep 2019

This report examines home visiting models and curricula, state- and federal-level policies related to early care and education and home visiting, funding streams to support early care and education and home visiting, and the perspectives of home-based child care (HBCC) providers and parents in order to explore the potential for scaling up this model of professional development for HBCC providers in the United States.

Preparing Youth in Foster Care for College Through an Early Outreach Program

Royel M. Johnson, Terrell L. Strayhorn - Journal of College Student Development, 01 Sep 2019

To help increase the college preparation of local foster youth in a Midwestern city in the US, the authors developed a working group comprised of foster youth nominated by agency staff, staff from a university research center that sponsored and coordinated the program, local community leaders who work with foster youth, and city government representatives.

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Child-Parent relationships in Russian families of different types

Yashkova, Aksana N.; Buyanova, Valentina V.; Sukhareva, Nadezhda F.; Alaeva, Maria V. - Dilemas Contemporáneos: Educación, Política y Valores, 01 Sep 2019

This paper examines the data of empirical research on child-parent relationship in the Russian adoptive and birth families.

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In-Depth Case Studies of Authentic Youth Engagement in Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative Sites

Amy M. Salazar, Rachel Peterson, Sara Spiers, Garrett Jenkins Adrian Tucker Abigail Bambilla - Washington State University Vancouver, 01 Sep 2019

The purpose of this study is to synthesize and share the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative’s approach to youth engagement. The study’s findings communicate how authentically engaging youth can help both the Jim Casey Initiative and youth-serving systems achieve their desired results.