Systems of Kinship Care: Enduring Challenges and Emerging Opportunities

Abstract

In any ongoing caregiving relationship, a relative may act as an agent of a care recipient in the role of family member, patron, steward, or contractual agent. Psychological stresses and sociological strains are created whenever different agency roles and principles are combined to resolve the social dilemma of whether a caregiver will continue to act responsibly on behalf of the interests of the care recipient or defect from this expectation at the recipient's expense. This introduction examines enduring challenges to resolving this dilemma and identifies emerging opportunities to support and sustain the three separate but complementary systems of informal, formal, and permanent kinship care.