Family & Relationships : Adoption

Foster care, which can include both long- and short-term placements, is the most common way in which local authorities look after other people's children. Examining the problems and the positive experiences of those providing care, Foster Carers is essential reading for social work professionals, academics and foster carers themselves. Through questionnaire responses from over a thousand foster carers across seven different local authorities, the authors highlight the importance of identifying and fulfilling appropriate kinds of care; the need to recruit and retain carers; and, finally, examine the ways that carers can be supported to reduce strain and turnover through, for example, housing and financial support, training and carers' groups. Drawing on the findings of the largest recent study into foster care in the UK, Foster Carers is an invaluable resource for policy makers and practitioners, as well as local authorities working to formulate policies that will provide the support and training needed by foster carers. more...

Price: $32.95

How can we determine success in foster placements? Based on exhaustive research, the authors discuss the primary concerns in foster placement planning, considering the high frequency of placement breakdowns, their impact on the child's behaviour and school performance, and the challenges this places on foster families. The specific needs of the foster child are given close attention in determining a pathway to success. By monitoring and describing the individual characteristics of the child within the context of the placement, the authors are able to reveal what types of supports are most beneficial. The implications for this research are considerable. Social workers are given new methods of assessing the needs of foster children which emphasise the process of care and not just the outcome. Policy makers are provided with rich qualitative accounts with which to increase and strengthen the success of foster placements. This is essential reading for social workers, policy makers and foster families. more...

Price: $32.95

Fostering Now brings together authoritative research on foster care in the UK. succinct overview of a wide range of research projects and highlights the main implications for policymakers and all professionals involved in the fostering process. Drawing on the varied experiences and views of foster children, social workers, foster carers and parents, this book looks at how placement outcomes are influenced by factors such as foster carers' parenting styles, contact with the child's own parents, and the child's gender, ethnicity, age and physical and emotional health. Other important areas examined include care given by relatives, the effects of foster care on education, and what happens to foster children when they return home. Fostering Now identifies the most significant challenges currently faced by foster care and draws out the key messages for policy and practice. It offers important insights into the state of foster care today, and suggests how it can be improved in future. This book is essential reading for social workers, policy makers, academics and foster carers. Consultant Editor: Carolyn Davies, Institute of Education. Carolyn was formerly Chief Research Officer in Social Care at the Department of Health and then at the Department for Education and Skills. She led the commissioning and oversight of the studies reviewed in this book. Carolyn has a strong interest in the effective dissemination and utilisation of high quality research. more...

Price: $29.95

Children are frequently cared for by relatives and friends when parents, for whatever reason, are unable to care for their children themselves. Yet there has been very little information about how well children do when placed with kin or how safe they are in these placements. This book compares formal kinship care to traditional foster placements in order to ascertain which children are placed with kin, in what circumstances, how well such children progress, and how often these placements disrupt. The authors explore whether children placed with family and friends fare better or worse than other foster children, what services are provided and needed, and how kin care is experienced by carers, children and social workers. This book will be essential reading for social workers, policy makers, students and all those working with looked-after children, and will enable local authorities to make informed decisions about where best to place children and the support needed by family and friend carers. more...

Price: $45.00

While clearing through her dead mother's bedroom, Emma happens upon the thirty-year-old newspaper clipping announcing the birth of the baby she gave up for adoption. Now a wife and mother of two teenage children, Emma is transfixed by this reminder and link to her first-born. Vividly recalling the stigma of her schoolgirl pregnancy and the pain of adoption, the story follows Emma's search for and reunion with Oliver and the consequences this has for her family life. This absorbing novel, while dealing with the grief and guilt of adoption, provides hope to all those affected by the adoption process. more...

Price: $24.95