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This is the first-ever National Kinship Care Strategy to be published in the UK. The strategy establishes “the foundations for a future, transformed kinship care system in England.”
The strategy includes the following commitments, amongst others:
- Launching a kinship financial allowance, paid at the same rate as the fostering allowance, beginning in up to 8 local authorities
- Expanding the Virtual School Head’s role
- Renaming the Adoption Support Fund to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund
- New government guidance for employers on…
Abstract:
Understanding the distinctive features of kinship and non-kin foster care has sparked research interest aimed at developing policies and programs. This study analyses 930 cases of fostered children (35.5% in non-kin foster care and 64.5% in kinship care) based on the information provided by child care professionals and the evaluations made by 221 foster carers (34.8% in non-kin foster care and 65.2% in kinship care) using different questionnaires.
Significant differences were obtained between kinship and non-kin foster care, indicating more favourable results on…
Learning briefs are short resources that share more about how Changing the Way We Care undertakes a certain aspect of the care reform work and what some of the main lessons are. This learning brief was developed as part of the initiative'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.
Changing The Way We CareSM (CTWWC) is a global initiative designed to promote safe, nurturing family care for children. This includes reforming national…
What is, or should be, the role of solidarity within the (transnationally adoptive) family? In Spain, solidaridad is a prized value in family life, political organization, and humanitarian action, yet adoption professionals actively discouraged its use as a motivation for transnational adoption. This article offers a genealogy of the concept of solidaridad, a consideration of its enduring currency in kinship discourse in Spain, and a critical analysis of case studies from the authors' respective research projects.
They show that kinship and humanitarianism…
The Scottish Parliament’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee has published its latest report on kinship carers, calling for improved support for carers.
Abstract
The literature on alternative care focuses overwhelmingly on formal, court-ordered placements; voluntary care placements are discussed less frequently. Least attention of all has been given to informal kinship care placements, where a child is cared for by relatives but is not formally in the legal care of state authorities. In Ireland, these placements, when facilitated by state authorities in lieu of a care order or voluntary care agreement, are known by professionals as ‘private family arrangements’. This article explores evidence which shows that the use of such arrangements…
This guide is the first of its kind which comprehensively addresses the best practice for placing Looked After Children currently in the UK into the care of a family member(s) who lives in another country. The overarching premise of this document is to ensure that all options are explored for a child in care and to provide local authorities with the tools and knowledge so that family members overseas are not unnecessarily ruled out as potential carers for children in care in the UK, particularly if this option may be in the best interests of the child.
This survey was constructed and undertaken by the charity Family Rights Group on behalf of the Cross-Party Parliamentary Taskforce on Kinship Care. The survey aimed to enable the Taskforce to have a better understanding of the experiences faced by kinship care households as a result of the Coronavirus crisis, and what urgent steps could be taken by Government, local authorities and other agencies to help.
Alongside learning from published research in the field and from previous surveys that Family Rights Group has conducted, the survey questions were also informed by: calls from kinship…
Abstract
Background
Many looked after young people in Wales are cared for by foster or kinship carers, usually as a consequence of maltreatment or developmentally traumatising experiences within a family context. Confidence in Care is a pragmatic unblinded individually randomised controlled parallel group trial evaluating a training programme to improve foster carer self-efficacy, when compared to usual care.
Objective
To determine whether group-based training improves foster carer self-efficacy.
Participants and setting
Participants are foster carers, currently looking…
In this online event, Family for Every Child members FSCE (Ethiopia), The Mulberry Bush (UK), Praajak (India) and CSID (Bangladesh) discussed children's care in the context of COVID-19. Discussion points included responding to vulnerable groups including children on the move and children with disabilities; domestic violence; kinship care and the digital divide. This webinar also included an overview of what is happening across the membership, and how Family is adapting to support members during this time.