Placement stability in kinship care

There has been little research in the United Kingdom on placements with family and friends (kinship care), despite a steady rise in the number of children fostered with kin. This paper reports some of the key findings from a recent national study on kinship care in England in the context of research findings from other countries. The study examined the characteristics, progress and outcomes of children placed with family and friends, compared these with a similar group of children placed with unrelated foster carers and considered the factors that contributed to success in kin placements. The paper shows that there are many similarities but also some interesting differences between these research findings and those from other countries. Whilst the disadvantages faced by kin carers are similar to those in the United States and elsewhere, the profile of carers shows some key differences. The children placed with kin carers were found to be remarkably similar to those in unrelated foster care (unlike some findings from the United States), but they were not placed disproportionately with black and minority ethnic carers, in contrast to the situation elsewhere. Contact, children's safety, carer support and strain are discussed. Children's wellbeing and progress were found to be very similar in the two kinds of placement, but the placements in kin care lasted longer principally because of planned moves from unrelated foster care. The study concluded that, in England, kin placements make a major contribution to stability for children who cannot live with their parents. This is a real achievement, given the disadvantages faced by kinship carers and the low levels of support and remuneration they receive.