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Therapeutic Kinship Care: A Carer's Perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2014

Lynne McPherson  and
Noel MacNamara
Lynne McPherson*
Affiliation:
Department of Social Work and Social Policy, La Trobe University Bundoora, 3068, Australia
Noel MacNamara
Affiliation:
National Manager Therapeutic Care, Australian Childhood Foundation, Ringwood, Victoria, Australia 3134
*
address for correspondence: Dr Lynne McPherson, Lecturer, Department of Social Work and Social Policy, La Trobe University Bundoora, 3068, Australia. E-mail: l.mcpherson@latrobe.edu.au
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Abstract

Kinship-care placements in Australia are now more prevalent than foster care and are the fastest growing form of out-of-home care in this country (AIHW, 2014). On 30 June 2013, 93% of Australian children in out-of-home care were in home-based care, with 43% of these in foster care and 48% in relative/kinship care (AIHW, 2014). The past decade has seen a greater understanding of children's needs in out-of-home care, with models of therapeutic care showing promise in Australia and internationally. These models, however, are designed almost exclusively for children placed in foster care or residential care, and as such do not consider the unique features of kinship care. This paper will identify the needs of children in out-of-home care, before briefly examining the concepts of therapeutic foster care as a response to children who have experienced trauma. Key distinctions between foster care and kinship care will be highlighted and implications for a conceptual model of therapeutic kinship care discussed.

Keywords

therapeutic carekinship careout-of-home carecarer
Type
Articles
Information
Children Australia , Volume 39 , Issue 4: ATTACHMENT AND TRAUMA INFORMED PRACTICE , December 2014 , pp. 221 - 225
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2014 

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