RE: Researched reasoning for relative contact

["Mapp, Susan" <SMapp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have done *a lot* of research and evaluation for a project that sought to
place children in long-term foster care with relatives. It evolved to
include other forms of contact. We have developed a new project that seeks
to re-establish contact between foster care children and their relatives.
Half of our re-united target are expected to be placed. My work is firmly
grounded in the belief that kin can have positive benefits for children even
if they are unable to offer a permanent home. Some of the reasons are:
attachment development, family history, and development of self-identity.
And finally, many of our youth who age out of care return home to these
relatives. I have statistics and research on all these topics.

I have condensed much of the literature I have in read in an article about
family visiting that is currently under consideration. If anyone is
interested about this research or in our "Kin Can" project, please feel to
contact me. I will also be presenting on this topic at the CWLA Child
Welfare Research conference in June and CWLA Kinship Care conference in
July.

One qualitative example is a 14-year-old girl who was entering the identity
development phase of adolescence and had many questions about her family
history. Our project located a great-aunt who was disabled and not able to
visit her, but they had many phone calls with the aunt telling her family
stories that gave this girl a better idea from where she had come, thus
enabling her to figure out where she wanted to go.

Overall, it takes a good assessment of both the relative and the child and
figuring out what level of connection would be best for them.

Susan Mapp, LMSW
DePelchin Children's Center
Houston, TX



		-----Original Message-----
		From:	rnilsson@families.qld.gov.au
[mailto:rnilsson@families.qld.gov.au]
		Sent:	Wednesday, May 02, 2001 10:34 PM
		To:	Child Maltreatment Researchers
		Subject:	Researched reasoning for relative contact


		Dear Colleagues,

		I have been asked to provide (for a court action), some
fundamental reasoning based on current research which explains or reasons
why :

		1	Children in CPS (foster-care) must / should have
(safe) contact with relatives

		2	Children in CPS (foster-care) must / should be
placed (safely) with satisfactory / suitable caring relatives in preferance
to fostercarers

		I have 15 years experience in the field and I am a regular
here on the .... BUT the question has stumped me in terms of recent research
to base my usual frameworks on!!

		Please help if you can.

		Thank You in anticipation.

		Rolf Nilsson
		Department of Families, Queensland 
		AUSTRALIA


		=============================================
		The information contained in this e-mail is intended for the
		recipient(s) only. It may contain privileged or confidential
		information. If you are not the intended recipient of this
		e-mail, you must not copy, distribute or take any action
		that relies on it.

		If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the
		sender immediately and then delete the message.

		This footnote also confirms that this e-mail message has
		been checked for the presence of computer viruses.
		FYCCQ provide no guarantee that all possible viruses
		have been detected and cleaned during this process.

		=============================================