Achieving Safety, Stability and Belonging for Children in Out-of-Home Care: The Search for 'What Works' across National Boundaries

Abstract

Findings from a study of administrative data on children in formal out-of-home care in different jurisdictions in 14 countries are combined with an overview of the state of knowledge on outcomes for children in care, paying particular attention to children's needs for a sense of belonging and family membership. The paper argues for the routine collection of robust administrative data on child welfare populations to complement summative (what works?) and formative (why does it work and with whom?) research studies. It concludes that, while much is to be gained by learning from apparently successful policies and interventions in other jurisdictions, care has to be taken to ascertain that there is sufficient congruence between the welfare systems and routinely provided services, and the characteristics of the children served, in the 'originating' and 'importing' States.