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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Risk assessment for foster placement breakdown: The predictive value of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire and foster child and foster family characteristics

F.B. van Rooij, C.van der Put, A.M. Maaskant, D. Folkering, J.M.A. Hermanns - Children and Youth Services Review, 22 Feb 2019

This study examined the predictive power of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for predicting foster placement breakdown.

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The key therapeutic factors needed to deliver behavioural change interventions to decrease risky substance use (drug and alcohol) for looked after children and care leavers: a qualitative exploration with young people, carers and front line workers

Hayley Alderson, Rebecca Brown, Alex Copello, Eileen Kaner, Gillian Tober, Raghu Lingam and Ruth McGovern - BMC Medical Research Methodology, 21 Feb 2019

This paper reports on the initial formative phase of a pilot feasibility randomised controlled trial; SOLID (Supporting Looked After Children and Care Leavers In Decreasing Drugs, and Alcohol) that aimed to adapt two evidence-based psychosocial interventions, Motivational Enhancement Therapy and Social Behaviour and Network Therapy, which will aim to reduce substance misuse by looked after children.

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To Navigate the Normative and the Not-Normative Family Therapists Negotiating Their Professional Identities with Parents Whose Children are Placed in Public Care

Ellen Syrstad & Ottar Ness - Contemporary Family Therapy, 19 Feb 2019

This article examines the professional identities of family therapists employed by Family Counselling Services (FCS) in Norway and their experiences providing therapeutic services to parents whose children are placed in public care.

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Attachment as a Tool in the Treatment of Children Within Foster Care

Julie Gardenhire, Cydney Schleiden, Cameron C. Brown - Contemporary Family Therapy, 16 Feb 2019

This article has a twofold purpose. First, through synthesizing existing literature this article offers context and education about adverse experiences and concerns of children in foster care. Second, through an attachment lens clinical suggestions and interventions are discussed to assist MFTs in improving many of the emotional, mental, and physical health concerns found in this population.

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Infant removals: The need to address the over-representation of Aboriginal infants and community concerns of another ‘stolen generation’

Melissa O’Donnell, Stephanie Taplin, Rhonda Marriott, Fernando Lima, Fiona J. Stanley - Child Abuse & Neglect, 12 Feb 2019

This study will determine where disparities in child protection involvement exist among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children and characteristics associated with infant removals.

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Differences in educational achievement in norm- and criterion-referenced grading systems for children and youth placed in out-of-home care in Sweden

Alli Klapp - Children and Youth Services Review, 10 Feb 2019

The overall purpose of the study was to investigate how two different grading systems, the norm-referenced and the criterion-referenced garaging systems influence the educational achievement for children and youths placed in out-of-home care.

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Factors Influencing the Subjective Well-Being of Adolescents in out-of-Home Care. A Mixed Method Study

Joan Llosada-Gistau, Ferran Casas, Carme Montserrat - Applied Research in Quality of Life, 09 Feb 2019

The aim of this study was to analyse subjectisuppleve well-being (SWB) among adolescents in care, considering the type of placement in greater depth and how it correlated with several explanatory variables.

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After Child Maltreatment: The Importance of Voice for Youth in Foster Care

Goldfarb D, Tashjian SM, Goodman GS, Bederian-Gardner D, Hobbs SD, Cordón IM, Ogle CM, Bakanosky S, Narr RK, Chae Y, NYTD/CYTD Research Group - Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 08 Feb 2019

This study tests the prediction that foster youth who perceive having more opportunity for voice, even indirectly via a representative, more favorably rate the dependency system.

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The overrepresentation of First Nations children and families involved with child welfare: Findings from the Ontario incidence study of reported child abuse and neglect 2013

Jennifer Ma, Barbara Fallon, Kenn Richard - Child Abuse & Neglect, 08 Feb 2019

The objectives of this article are to: 1) estimate the rate of overrepresentation of First Nations children and youth involved in child welfare investigations in the Ontario child welfare system and, 2) determine which factors drive the overrepresentation of First Nations children in child welfare at the investigation stage compared to White children.

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Enhancing the Lives of Children in Out-Of-Home Care: An Exploration of Mind-Body Interventions as a Method of Trauma Recovery

Sarah S. Mayer - Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 07 Feb 2019

Despite limited research on the effectiveness of mind-body interventions with children and adolescents in out-of-home care in Canada, a review of available literature on mindfulness, arts-based methods, and yoga suggests these therapeutic interventions promote resilience and positive development.

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