Testing the limits of foster care

This study looks at a pioneering scheme - the Community Alternative Placement Scheme (CAPS) - set up by NCH Action for Children in Scotland to offer fostering families for young people whose behaviour would place them beyond the limits of ‘normal’ foster care and who might otherwise be placed in secure care.

After considering developments and outcomes in specialist fostering schemes in the UK and USA, the book charts the development of CAPS and the progress of the first twenty youngsters in the scheme. It highlights the challenges for all involved - the young people themselves, carers and project staff. It poses some pertinent questions. Can foster care provide added value to those who would otherwise be in secure care? Can foster care be appropriate for young people with severe difficulties? What is distinctive about fostering and what can it offer alongside secure care and other services for challenging young people?

The findings and experiences of the young people and their carers are revealing. While family placement is not suitable for all young people with serious emotional and behavioural difficulties, the CAPS scheme has shown that high quality foster care can allow many to remain in the community and help some to turn their lives around. Ways in which foster care might complement other service provision are proposed.

This book provides invaluable insights for care workers, social workers and managers planning placements for children, those involved in the juvenile justice system, and foster carers themselves.