How Does Foster Care Work? is an international collection of empirical studies on the outcomes of children in foster care. Drawing on research and perspectives from leading international figures in children's services across the developed world, the book provides an evidence base for programme planning, policy and practice.This volume establishes a platform for comparison of international systems, trends and outcomes in foster care today. Each contributor provides a commentary on one other chapter to highlight the global significance of issues affecting children and young people in care. Each chapter offers new ideas about how foster care could be financed, delivered or studied in order to become more effective.This book is important reading for anyone involved in delivering child welfare services, such as administrators, practitioners, researchers, policy makers, children's advocates, academics and students.
Introduction - Informing Foster Care: The Context and Potential of International Evidence. Elizabeth Fernandez, University of New South Wales, Australia and Richard P. Barth, University of Maryland, USA.; 1. International Perspectives on Foster Care. June Thoburn, University of East Anglia, UK. Placement Movements and Destinations.; 2. Pathways into Care: US National Survey of Child and Adolescent Wellbeing. Richard P. Barth.; 3. Placement Stability in Foster Care. Fred Wulczyn, University of Chicago, USA.; 4. Foster Care in The Netherlands: Correlates of Placement Breakdown and Successful Placement. Johan Piet Strijker, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.; 5. Profile and Scope of Foster Care in Spain. Jorge Fernandez de Valle, University of Oviedo, Spain.; 6. Reunification in Australian Out-of-Home Care. Elizabeth Fernandez and Paul Delfabbro, University of Adelaide, Australia. The Foster Care Experience: A Life Course Perspective.; 7. Very Young Children in Care in England: Issues for Foster Care. Harriet Ward, Loughborough University, UK.; 8. Fostering Adolescents in England: What Contributes to Success. Elaine Farmer, University of Bristol, UK.; 9. Transitions to Adulthood Among Youth Aging Out of Care: Northwest Alumni Study, US. Peter Pecora, University of Washington, US. Psychological Outcomes and Correlates of Outcomes.; 10. The Roles and Effects of Foster Care in England: What Makes a Difference. Ian Sinclair, University of York, UK.; 11. Long-term Outcomes: Foster Care in Sweden. Bo Vinnerljung, University of Stockholm, Sweden.; 12. Outcomes for Children in Different Types of Foster Care in Denmark. Anne-Dorthe Hestback, SFI, The Danish National Centre for Social Research, Denmark.; 13. Educational Outcomes and Social Support: Experience of Children in Foster Care in Ireland. Robbie Gilligan and Fiona Daly, both of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.; 14. The Academic Achievement of Young People in Care in Canada: Current Status, Implications for Mental; Health and Strategies for Improvement. Robert Flynn, Robyn Marquis and Marie Pierre Paquet, all of the University of Ottawa, Canada.; 15. Psychosocial Wellbeing in Foster Care: An Australian Longitudinal Study of Outcomes. Elizabeth Fernandez. Conclusion - A Synthesis of Research Findings and Direction for Policy, Practice and Research in Foster Care. Elizabeth Fernandez and Richard P. Barth. Index.
Foster care practice needs both an international perspective and an evidence base to allow us to learn and develop. This book supports both of these objectives.
