The impact of extended family care

Extended family care is a relatively new child placement type in Denmark and it is still only used to a limited extent.
This report compares the impacts of extended family care with the impacts of traditional foster family care, in order to create a knowledge base for the social-policy discussion about extended family care and act as a trigger for further research.
The report shows that extended family placements are as stable as placements in traditional foster family care, and that children placed with an extended family have stronger networks and fewer psyco-social problems than children and young people placed in traditional foster families. The report also indicates that it is important to support foster families of the children and young people placed with an extended family.
The survey is the second and last quantitative survey of extended family care compared with traditional foster family care. It is based on replies to questionnaires from children who have previously been placed with extended family or traditional foster family care, as well as foster parents and in some cases, parents or contact teachers to children and young people who have been placed in either of the family types.
The report has been commissioned and financed by the Ministry of Social Affairs.