Kinship Care | Better Care Network

Kinship Care

Kinship care is the full-time care of a child by a relative or another member of the extended family. This type of arrangement is the most common form of out of home care throughout the world and is typically arranged without formal legal proceedings. In many developing countries, it is essentially the only form of alternative family care available on a significant scale.

In the context of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, kinship care is the primary mechanism that has enabled a vast majority of children who have lost both parents to remain in family care in their community.

Kinship care offers many advantages over other forms of care for children not able to live with their parents. It allows family relationships to continue, maintains the child within her culture and community, and avoids the anxieties related to placements with unfamiliar adults.

Kinship care is more successful with immediate family members, rather than distant relatives. Children may be treated differently than the caretaker’s own children, and exploited, abused or denied access to education and health services. Kinship care has also been shown to result in the delayed reunification of a child and parents, either because the family is comfortable with the situation, there are financial disincentives for returning the child, or social services are less active in moving the case forward.

In order to reduce the incidence of such problems, the use of kinship care should be appropriately monitored by the local authority or a protection agency. Children in kinship care have a right to protection and family support services. However, it must be recognized that kinship care has a positive effect on many children's lives. Placing requirements on kinship arrangements that unnecessarily intefere with or interrupt this traditional caretaking practice should be avoided.

Kinship care may be an option for child protection agencies to consider when a child is without adequate family care. The decision to use kinship care will depend on what is in the child’s best interests, and should involve a careful assessment of the child’s opinions, the family’s ability to care for the child, and permanency planning in order to work towards timely family reunification. Financial support is an area for debate since, while it can enable a family to care for a child, it may also encourage relatives to keep a child for monetary gain.

The resources found in this section provide policy guidance and country examples on the use of kinship care.

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Fact Sheet No. 51: Kafalah

International Social Service/International Reference Center for the Rights of Children Deprived from their Families (ISS/IRC), 2007

Information gathered by the ISS/IRC on the Muslim practice of Kafalah, which serves as a form of long-term fostering and de-facto adoption.

Kinship Care: Providing Positive and Safe Care for Children Living Away from Home

Save the Children Fund, 2007

Briefing paper on the global characteristics of kinship care, the required policy and legislative framework, and the role of practitioners in assessing, supporting, and monitoring kinship care

Kinship Care: Providing Positive and Safe Care for Children Living Away from Home

Bob Broad - Save the Children, 2007

This paper aims to present information about the prevalence of kinship care, describe its practice and related issues in different countries, and make recommendations to protect and support children living in kinship care arrangements.

Enhanced Protection for Children Affected by AIDS: A Companion Paper to The OVC Framework

UNICEF, 31 Dec 2006

Outlines how to strengthen social protection, legal protection, and alternative care for children at country level. Contains specific actions that governments and NGO's can take to decrease the vulnerability of children affected by AIDS and respond to instances of abuse, exploitation and neglect.

Policy on Alternative Care for Children - Cambodia

Kingdom of Cambodia, 01 Apr 2006

This document presents the full policy on the alternative care of children in Cambodia.

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A Sense of Belonging: Case studies in positive care options for children

David Tolfree, 2006

Save the Children's "First Resort" series focuses on the needs and rights of children who, for a wide variety of reasons, are lacking adequate parental care. This third paper in the First Resort series presents practical examples of the range of options available to policy-makers, practitioners and others with responsibilities for the care and protection of children without adequate parental care.

Consideration of Kinship Carer(s) for a Longer Term Placement of a Child or Children

Carol Edwards, Edwina Brockelsby, Family Rights Group, UK, 2006

A template for assessing the suitability of kinship caregivers in the longer term, and for planning the care of a child in kinship care.

Overview of the Debate on Children Without Parental Care and Possible Models of Care

Annemiek van Voorst, 2006

Detailed examination of debate over institutional and alternative care methods for children without parental care. Includes comprehensive framework for collective action.

From Faith to Action: Strengthening Family and Community Care Options for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Sub-Saharan Africa

Kerry Olson, Zanele Sibanda Knight, and Geoff Foster, 2006

A tool to encourage donors to fund community programs that keep children in family care, rather than simply funding orphanages. Describes the many strategies being used to invest in community-based care, and contains specific program examples.

Keeping Them Home: Aboriginal Out-of-Home Care in Australia

Bruce Valentine and Mel Gray, 2006

This article examines the foster care of Aboriginal children in Australia. It discusses the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle (ACPP), the role of indigenous kinship care and the self-determination of Aboriginal people.

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