2.4 Shared family care

Shared Family Care (SFC) is a promising alternative to foster care, especially for young children. It involves the placement of a parent (usually the mother) and at least one young child in the home of a community member who mentors the family while working with a team of professionals to help the family achieve safety, permanency and well-being goals. Participating families are at risk of having their children removed or are in the process of reunifying with them. Along with hands-on support and guidance from mentors, families receive comprehensive services from a team of professionals to meet their needs and increase their social and life skills, as well as help them connect to community resources for ongoing support.

Although control group studies have not been conducted, a quasi-experimental study found that SFC families re-entered foster care within one year at half the rate of families whose children were placed in traditional foster care. Three-quarters of participants were employed at graduation from the program compared to 36 percent at intake, and the average monthly income of participants increased from $520 at intake to $1,100 at graduation. The overall cost of SFC is slightly more than basic foster care, but considerably less than treatment foster care. [i]

Researchers recommend more comprehensive studies of shared family care to determine the characteristics of families most likely to benefit, when shared family care should be offered, and details regarding the outcomes for participating children and parents.