Working with kinship care families

Abstract

Kinship care is the fastest growing type of out-of-home care and is the preferred placement option for children who are unable to live with their parents. Kinship carers, particularly grandparents, may experience more vulnerability than foster carers and be exposed to specific stressors related to being kinship carers. This chapter will explore the challenges, needs and resources for kinship carers and the children in their care. Kinship care is among the fastest growing forms of formal and informal out-of-home care in Australia and is the preferred option for formal out-of-home care in Australia. Kinship care is defined as ‘family-based care within the child’s extended family or with close friends of the family known to the child, whether formal or informal in nature’ (United Nations General Assembly, 2010). There is common agreement that formal kinship care occurs in the instance where children have been placed with kin following some form of statutory (e.g., child protection services) intervention or court-ordered placement.