Edited by David Pitcher; Jessica Kingsley Publishers; ISBN 978-1-84905-346-4; £22.99; 264pp
As more children in care are placed with kinship (family and friends) foster carers, this book gives a valuable insight into the benefits and potential challenges in ensuring that this type of care offers the permanence and security that all children deserve and need.
Living with family or friends offers children the experience of living with people that are likely to have known them for the majority or all of their lives, which can help with a greater understanding of their situation and the likelihood that an attachment already exists.
The book brings together a range of perspectives from a variety of authors, highlighting the complexity of children being cared for by extended family. The book's 15 chapters are written by UK-based and world experts in kinship and foster care: John Simmonds of the British Association for Adoption and Fostering writes about permanence planning for children in family and friends care; Tavistock Clinic child psychotherapist Graham Music outlines a psychoanalytic approach to kinship care; James Gleeson from the University of Illinois shares findings on the views of children in kinship care; and Marilyn McHugh from the University of New South Wales discusses Australian research on assessing parenting capacity in kinship care.
Crucially, emphasis is placed on the importance of the provision of support groups, training, visits by a named social worker and financial support being available to kinship carers in a similar way to other foster carers.
Understanding the family dynamics before placing a child is an important theme that runs through the chapters. The relationship between the birth parents and the carer will have an important impact on the child; therefore the capacity of the carer to understand why the child cannot live with their parent and promote a positive view of the parent to the child is crucial.
In the case of grandparents caring for a grandchild, assessments must include an in-depth exploration of the quality of parenting, and relationship between the grandparent as a parent and the parent, when growing up.
There are useful tools included, evidencing that assessment and ongoing work with kinship carers is essential to ensure that kinship placements can offer the safety, security and permanence to children.
The final chapters offer an insight into kinship care in other cultures and the opportunity to compare and learn from studies and research in other countries
Reviewed by Alison Benjamin, care services team manager, Surrey County Council
