Social Work Now, Issue 41, pages 4-11.
In Aotearoa New Zealand many children, both Māori and Pākehā, have been taken in by whānau and extended family when there has been a need for care. When my mother died at my birth, extended family immediately took on the caring role, and anecdotal evidence shows that this experience is common for many reasons. The need for mandating this in child welfare legislation is reflective of the alienating effect of past child welfare practices, both here and internationally. The New Zealand Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act (1989) was a forerunner in international child welfare legislation in enabling families to make decisions about the care of their kin children. The concept of ‘family continuity’ and the sustaining of family links and identity for children unable to live with their biological parents is now internationally seen as good child welfare practice, and there is exponential growth in the social phenomenon of kin, particularly grandparents, assuming custody for a child (Child, Youth and Family Evaluation Unit, 2003; Worrall, 2007). This article briefly explores the international literature relating to kinship care, and then reports on a New Zealand study that has focused particularly on the experiences of carers when assuming care of children from within their family. Issues for policy and practice are then considered.