Traditional Versus Professional: Relative and non-relative foster care placements

This paper will present a summary of the findings of recent research examining current trends in foster care in Poland and their implications for the development of the most effective way of using this form of care. The... [ view full abstract ]

This paper will present a summary of the findings of recent research examining current trends in foster care in Poland and their implications for the development of the most effective way of using this form of care. The findings highlight an ambivalence towards professional foster family care as opposed to traditional kinship placement.

Background information
Since the beginning of the 1990s, there has been a strong movement in Poland to close large children’s homes and replace them with professional foster family care. Another trend was the formalizing of kinship care, which has been the most common and traditional form of child care. The development of professional foster care was a priority. It was hoped that professional foster parents would meet the needs of children deprived of parental care and better prepare them for an independent life than institution or relatives involved in kinship care.
A law passed in 2004 and subsequent legislation provided new standards for foster care – training, salary and supervision. Professional foster parents are employed by local administration and receive a salary. A relative who cares for the child in formal care is not a licensed foster parent and cannot receive the same oversight and compensation as a professional family.
There are currently 57,651 children in foster family care: 9,356 of them are under the care of professional foster families, 19,697 are placed in residential care. Overall, 75% of children placed out of home are with a foster family and 25% are in residential care.
The further development of professional foster care has come to a halt and is now facing a serious crisis. This happened after the tragic death of two small children from the hands of their “professional” foster parents. Another horrifying fact was discovery of the sexual abuse and pregnancy of a young foster girl. This shocked public opinion and raised serious concerns about the quality of care in professional foster families.

Method/source of information
This presentation is based on several different sources:
- State-provided reports concerning out of home care in Poland;
- A qualitative (12 months) project with a group of professional foster caregivers, based on reflective group model;
- Interviews with kinship and professional foster caregivers;
- Case studies of children brought up by their grandparents and siblings.

Summary of findings
- Professional caregivers usually care for several children, while kinship care serves one child or a siblings group.
- Professional foster caregivers are most often young couples, with their own young children. Kinship foster caregivers are usually older (grandparents) or, on the contrary, quite young (siblings).
- Professional foster families usually offer crisis and short-term care; most or even all kinship placement are permanent.
- Professional foster caregivers often see biological family as a problem. They feel overwhelmed with the situation and unprepared to meet the complex needs of the children under their care.
- Professional families often consider themselves over controlled by professionals.
- Kinship caregivers are usually satisfied with the financial help and support received from professionals.

Policy and practice implications
This paper would argue that social and cultural factors, family and community traditions must be considered while planning child welfare services. Kinship care can be a valued option and an important component of the child welfare system. New strategies for recruitment of professional foster parents are needed to achieve better quality of specialized foster care.
Case studies will be presented to show different schemes of kinship care and the crucial role of professionals in making it a successful option for children.