The increase in the number of children placed with relatives has created challenges and opportunities for child welfare practitioners as they search for ways to insure that children's needs for safety, well-being and permanency are met.
In Illinois, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of children known to the child welfare system who are cared for by relatives. The large number of children placed with relatives has caused agencies and researchers to search for effective ways of serving these children, their parents and their caregivers.
Care of children by relatives has occurred for hundreds of years. Informal systems of fostering and adoption have in fact existed throughout history in all cultures. In many societies, children whose parents could not take care of them arranged for their care outside of formal legal and/or governmental institutions. These informal kinship arrangements can be seen within African American, Native American, Mexican American and European cultures.
Initially, many practitioners looked at kinship care as an extension of foster care. As researchers began studying kinship care, many began to see it as unique and distinct; some believe that kinship care is more closely related to family preservation than to "traditional" foster care and suggest that principles of reunification should govern worker activities. (Gleeson, 19).
In Illinois, care of children by relatives is practiced as a distinct form of care founded on the following principles:
· Broad view of family - means developing a network that goes beyond the child, caregiver and parent group. This broad view of family is referred to in this guide as the "kinship network." Related to the identification of this network is the commitment by child welfare professionals to build and/or strengthen the network so that the safety, well-being and permanency needs of the child can be met.
· Ongoing striving for cultural competence - The child, parents and kinship network exist in a specific cultural context. Staff must be aware of the family's culture and develop knowledge of the strengths and helping traditions of that culture. Workers must value diversity and recognize the enduring nature of the child's cultural history and family ties.
· Collaboration in decision-making - requires that the worker identify, convene and motivate the relevant members of the kinship network to participate on the Child and Family Team to promote safety, well-being and permanency for the child. The family network members should be empowered to collaborate in assessing, planning and providing services to resolve the problems that brought the family to the attention of the child welfare system.
· Building the case management capacities of kinship networks - involves preparing the kinship network to work without the child welfare system. The network and caregiver must understand the long-term needs of the child so they can develop the skills required to meet the child's needs. If the child goes home, the network must also understand the long-term support needed by the child and family to ensure the child's safety and well-being. (Bonecutter & Gleeson)