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Child care in the EC: a country-specific guide to foster and residential care
- Editors:
- COLTON M.J., HELLINCKX W.
- Publisher:
- Arena/Ashgate
- Publication year:
- 1993
- Pagination:
- 267p.,tables,bibliogs.
- Place of publication:
- Aldershot
Systematic description of policy, practice and research in residential child care and foster care in each of the EC member states.
Children in care: paying their new families: a look at payments to foster and adoptive families in Denmark, Manitoba, New York State, Ontario and West Germany
- Author:
- SOUTHON Val
- Publisher:
- Great Britain. Department of Health and Social Security
- Publication year:
- 1986
- Pagination:
- 317p.
- Place of publication:
- London
-
Better data for better child protection systems in Europe: mapping how data on children in alternative care are collected, analysed and published across 28 European countries
- Authors:
- UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND (UNICEF), EUROCHILD
- Publishers:
- UNICEF, Eurochild
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Pagination:
- 187
- Place of publication:
- Geneva
This report sets out the final findings of a project to map how EU Member States and the UK currently collect data on the situation of children in alternative care. The findings show that in all, 9 of the 28 countries surveyed do not collect any data on why a child has entered alternative care. In the UK, England and Wales gather data on the stability of care. The survey also identified four key questions that cannot be answered in full, given the current gaps in the data: whether the alternative care provided is genuinely necessary and suitable; how effective prevention, family support and gatekeeping systems and services are in preventing unnecessary family separation; whether institutional/residential care is being replaced progressively by other forms of residential and family-based care; what is the quality of care and what are its outcomes in terms of the development, health, education, and well-being of the children who have been in alternative care. Three other key data gaps have emerged from the survey findings: not all countries cover all children in residential care in their data on alternative care; there are serious limitations to the comparability of disaggregated alternative care provisions; few countries gather data systematically on poverty as a reason for entering care. Despite these issues, the survey, which included countries with both decentralised and more centralised governance systems, also identified practices of data collection, aggregation and dissemination at national level that serve as helpful examples for other countries. There are, for example, federalised states such as Spain that have very divergent systems of care and data collection in their autonomous regions, yet manage to publish aggregate data on a regular basis at the national level. (Edited publisher abstract)
Achieving good outcomes in foster care: a personal perspective on research across contexts and cultures.
- Author:
- THOBURN June
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work and Society: International Online Journal, 14(2), 2016, Online only
- Publisher:
- University of Bielefeld
This paper presents a brief synthesis of learning from recently published European foster care research, focussing especially on papers given at the 2015 Siegen foster care research conference. It considers how a range of output and outcome measures have been used by researchers using a range of methodologies. It uses cross-national data on children in foster care as a basis for considering how different high income countries have both similar and different aims for their foster care services. Taking a personal perspective informed by the author’s experiences of collaborative research, it then gives examples of how differences in aims may impact on the types of research studies in different countries, looking at research on foster care services as a whole, and research on foster carers, foster children and birth relatives. (Publisher abstract)
Towards a theory of upbringing in foster care in Europe
- Authors:
- CAMERON Claire, REIMER Daniela, SMITH Mark
- Journal article citation:
- European Journal of Social Work, 19(2), 2016, pp.152-170.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Across Europe, foster care is the preferred intervention for children who cannot live with their birth families, yet just what states look for from foster care is rarely articulated. Its use and intended purpose can reflect not only historical peculiarities but also the nature of the welfare regime existing in a particular country. This article reports on a preliminary exploration of fostering across 11 European countries, reflecting different care and education traditions. Irrespective of variations in history and welfare ideology, and any specialist tasks, the authors argue that foster care, by its nature, fulfils elements of what might be described as an upbringing role on behalf of society. What is meant by upbringing and how might it be theorised? In this article the work of the German social pedagogue, Klaus Mollenhauer, is drawn upon to develop a model of upbringing that might help elucidate what is involved in bringing up children, including those in state care. The idea of passing on a valued cultural heritage is central to Mollenhauer's understanding of upbringing. This happens regardless of social policy intent merely by virtue of shared daily living and the development of pedagogical relationships. We argue that a concept of upbringing might offer an integrating cross-generational theoretical framework for foster care across different welfare regimes. (Edited publisher abstract)
Alternatives to custody: developing specialist fostering for children in conflict with the law
- Author:
- ALTERNATIVES TO CUSTODY PROJECT
- Publisher:
- British Association for Adoption and Fostering
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Place of publication:
- London
This book explores role of foster care in delivering child-friendly justice, offering a direct alternative to custody by providing safe care, nurturing relationships, boundaries and structured care giving. It is one of the main outcomes of a two-year pan-European project, funded by the European Commission’s Daphne III programme, on developing intensive and remand fostering programmes for young people in conflict with the law, who might otherwise be in custody. The first part sets out a context and examines the limited role that foster care currently plays in youth justice, and the potential for its greatly expanded use. An overview sets out the key international and European juvenile justice and children’s rights standards, the EU policy context, and the components found in effective youth justice systems, including prevention, diversion and community-level services. The second part contains policy overviews from Italy, Bulgaria, England and Hungary, containing each country’s achievements, needs and shortcomings in youth justice, and an assessment of the prospects for implementing an extended role for foster care in youth justice in the future. Chapters on setting up and operating a fostering service for children in conflict with the law and setting out a quality standards framework offer practical tools. A training programme to prepare and train prospective foster carers for the task of fostering children in conflict with the law comprises the third section, offering a preparation course that is designed to be informative and equip prospective foster carers with knowledge and skills. (Edited publisher abstract)
A European survey of the number and characteristics of children less than three years old in residential care at risk of harm
- Author:
- BROWNE Kevin
- Journal article citation:
- Adoption and Fostering, 29(4), 2005, pp.23-33.
- Publisher:
- Sage
This article reports on a survey of 33 European countries conducted to identify the number and characteristics of children aged less than three years placed in residential care without their parents for more than three months during the year ending 31 December 2003. Ministries of Health in Europe were asked for official data. For the 31 countries who responded it was estimated that 23,009 children aged less than three years were living in institutions. There was great variation between countries for the proportion of young children in institutions and family foster care. Although residential care was shown to cost on average three times as much as foster care, 33 percent of countries had more young children in institutions than fostered. Those countries with lower GDP and health expenditure had larger proportions of young children in institutions associated mainly with abandonment, disability and medical problems. only four per cent of children were biological orphans with deceased parents. It is recommended that no child less than three years could be placed in residential care without a parent. even when high-quality institutions are used as an emergency measure, research has suggested that a child should be moved into family foster care as soon as possible.
Residential care: horizons for the new century
- Editors:
- ERIKSSON Hans Goran, TJELFLAAT Torill
- Publisher:
- Ashgate
- Publication year:
- 2004
- Pagination:
- 219p.,bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Aldershot
Discussing issues in residential and foster care for children, this volume draws on new research from across Europe and Canada. Contributions stem from a spectrum of researchers and practitioners in the field, engaging in comparative international perspectives of problems. This book focuses on anti-oppressive practice, foster care, mainstreaming in education, ethnic origin, competency level and research as a tool in residential care.
5th international foster care conference: 'love is not enough' 26th July- 1st August 1987: conference papers
- Editor:
- CROSBY Ian
- Publisher:
- Leeds. Social Services Department
- Publication year:
- 1989
- Pagination:
- 302p.
- Place of publication:
- Leeds
A collection of conference papers on various aspects of foster care - child abuse, training, leaving care, mentally handicapped children, adult foster care, violence, recruitment of foster parents, long-term foster care.
Children in alternative care: comparable statistics to monitor progress on deinstitutionalisation across the European Union
- Authors:
- UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND (UNICEF), EUROCHILD
- Publishers:
- UNICEF, Eurochild
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Pagination:
- 22
- Place of publication:
- Geneva
This brief provides roadmaps for EU and national-based policymakers to improve data collection systems for some of Europe’s most vulnerable children. It draws on a mapping exercise of how EU Member States and the UK currently collect data on the situation of children in alternative care. Quality data on children in alternative care can illuminate the ways in which countries support children in need of care, including how social welfare, education and health services prevent unnecessary family separation and provide equal opportunities for all children. At EU level, the European Commission and the SPC/ISG are developing a common monitoring framework to measure progress in the implementation of the European Child Guarantee. In addition, the European Commission – through its European Statistical System – can provide EU Member States with the guidance and support needed to assess the maturity of their data systems on alternative care. At national level, Governments can assess the maturity of their data systems on children in alternative care, identify the components that need strengthening, and include system-strengthening actions in relevant national action plans that are costed and funded. Governments can also pay particular attention to key points during their assessment and planning processes to strengthen their national data systems on children in alternative care, which reflect the main findings of the DataCare project, including: a sound legislative basis for collection, analysis and publication of data; a central agency with a clear mandate; all children in residential and in formal family-based care are counted and included in the statistics; the individual child is the unit of statistical data collection; statistics produced on children in alternative care, including the data used to produce the statistics, are made accessible to researchers and other key stakeholders for secondary analysis and research. (Edited publisher abstract)