Mind the Gap: Formal Kinship Care and Children's Participation in Decision Making

ABSTRACT Kinship care is a historically persistent phenomenon that has been utilised as a form of alternative care across the world for centuries. It is increasingly being considered as the first choice in national and regional policies for alternative care of children. This paper will focus upon the literature surrounding the paradoxical position that formal kinship care holds in the public and private spheres of child welfare. Considering the added complexity of conceptualisations of family and familial dynamics, the potential added barriers to children and young people's participation in kinship care decision‐making will be discussed. The position of children's participation in kinship care decision making will be compared with other types of placements for looked after children. Theoretical constructs and frameworks including adopting an ecological approach will underpin this discussion to elucidate the relationship between children's participation and kinship care decision‐making. Broader implications will be discussed for how children's participation may be improved for kinship care decision‐making, the link between children's participation in decision‐making and placement outcomes and how future research may contribute to bridging the gap between policy and practice.