Family Problems, Family Solutions. Kinship Care for Children in Need: An Agenda for Change

By Terry Philpot and Bob Broad.
Children and Families Research Unit, De Montfort
University
ISBN 1874436061
Free 

This informative and well-written monograph on kinship care
should be required reading for everyone with an interest child
welfare in general and kinship care in particular.

The authors have pulled together findings from a range of
research studies in the UK and the US. It is good to see so much
emphasis given to the views of children and families. Young people
are identified as describing that kinship care offers them a sense
of “emotional permanence”.

It also helpfully sets current policy and practice issues within
a wider context and explores a range of key issues that effect
policy and practice. These include the assumptions that are made
about relatives and the thorny issue of financial support.

The authors convincingly argue that we must challenge the
current culture that sees kinship care as either a low cost or no
cost placement option.

They see kinship care as a form of care “waiting to be
discovered”, and they call for a programme of reform and investment
to ensure that kinship care is given a more central role in child
care policy and practice.

Robert Tapsfield is chief executive, Family Rights
Group.