Initiatives and solutions
Multiple placement breakdowns occur because of the pressures on local authority finances, resources and staff, and the reliance on too small a pool of foster carers, many of whom say they need better training and support to deal with the enormous challenges they face in caring for these children.
There is often an implicit assumption that foster care is the best option for children in care, and that children’s homes are a last resort to be used for only the most troubled children.
But there are new schemes emerging that aim to address some of these issues, from providing more training and support to foster carers so placements don’t break so quickly, to introducing new practices in children’s homes which could make them a viable alternative to foster care. Local authority schemes where foster carers are given 24-hour support and specialist training to cope with the most complex behaviours have been successful in retaining carers and stabilising children.
For example:
Multidimensional treatment foster care, which started in the United States as a way of helping specially trained foster carers cope with the most damaged and challenging children brought into public care. The government here introduced it in a few local authorities as a pilot scheme to see if the same positive outcomes can be replicated. Children who join this scheme have a team of specialists around them. This project has only been introduced for children with the most challenging behaviours but the model of support and training is one that could potentially be adapted for all children and parents involved in foster care.
New schemes are being introduced in some parts of the country to provide residential care of a better quality than in the past which could ease some of the pressure on the over-burdened foster care system.
Kinship care is another option which should be considered more. Research shows that if there is a suitable member of the extended family or a family friend who is willing and able to look after a child then that placement is less likely to break down than if a child is placed with people they don't know. This is particularly true if the kinship carer receives appropriate financial and emotional support to help them deal with what is a challenging and often complex family situation.