IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v98y2019icp178-187.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The African child in kinship care: A systematic review

Author

Listed:
  • Ariyo, Esther
  • Mortelmans, Dimitri
  • Wouters, Edwin

Abstract

This study investigates the difference in the well-being of children in kinship care when compared to children in other care settings within Africa, examining factors that are associated with their well-being outcomes. A systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA guidelines. Fourteen databases and websites were searched for empirical studies conducted in Africa between 2000 and 2017. Studies were included if they compared children in kinship care with other care settings. 23 studies were included and retained in the review. The degree of relatedness of carer to the child, socio-economic status of fostering households, gender and age were identified as factors contributing to the well-being of children in kinship care. The degree of relatedness to the caregiver and socio-economic status of the fostering household were the strongest determinants of the well-being of children in kinship care. This review finds that parental care remains the best care setting and should be highly encouraged within African society. However, outside of parental care kinship care is the most sustainable and affordable form of care for children in Africa. The evidence suggests that systems that support the placement of children with close kin members and ensure economic strengthening programs for poor families with children should be supported and put in place by the African governments.

Suggested Citation

  • Ariyo, Esther & Mortelmans, Dimitri & Wouters, Edwin, 2019. "The African child in kinship care: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 178-187.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:98:y:2019:i:c:p:178-187
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.12.013
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740918306388
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.12.013?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Beck, Simon & De Vreyer, Philippe & Lambert, Sylvie & Marazyan, Karine & Safir, Abla, 2014. "Child Fostering in Senegal," CEPREMAP Working Papers (Docweb) 1403, CEPREMAP.
    2. Richard Akresh, 2009. "Flexibility of Household Structure: Child Fostering Decisions in Burkina Faso," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 44(4).
    3. Ramesh Raghavan & Anna Alexandrova, 2015. "Toward a Theory of Child Well-Being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 121(3), pages 887-902, April.
    4. Cuddeback, Gary S., 2004. "Kinship family foster care: a methodological and substantive synthesis of research," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(7), pages 623-639, July.
    5. Anne Case & Christina Paxson & Joseph Ableidinger, 2004. "Orphans in Africa: parental death, poverty, and school enrollment," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 41(3), pages 483-508, August.
    6. Bicego, George & Rutstein, Shea & Johnson, Kiersten, 2003. "Dimensions of the emerging orphan crisis in sub-Saharan Africa," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 56(6), pages 1235-1247, March.
    7. Akresh, Richard, 2004. "Adjusting Household Structure: School Enrollment Impacts of Child Fostering in Burkina Faso," Center Discussion Papers 28521, Yale University, Economic Growth Center.
    8. repec:pri:cheawb:case_paxson_orphansafrica is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Brigitte Zimmerman, 2005. "Orphan Living Situations in Malawi: A Comparison of Orphanages and Foster Homes," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 22(6), pages 881-917, November.
    10. O'Higgins, Aoife & Sebba, Judy & Gardner, Frances, 2017. "What are the factors associated with educational achievement for children in kinship or foster care: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 198-220.
    11. Deininger, Klaus & Garcia, Marito & Subbarao, K., 2003. "AIDS-Induced Orphanhood as a Systemic Shock: Magnitude, Impact, and Program Interventions in Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 31(7), pages 1201-1220, July.
    12. repec:pri:rpdevs:case_paxson_orphansafrica.pdf is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Serra, Renata, 2009. "Child fostering in Africa: When labor and schooling motives may coexist," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(1), pages 157-170, January.
    14. Oleke, Christopher & Blystad, Astrid & Rekdal, Ole Bjørn, 2005. ""When the obvious brother is not there": Political and cultural contexts of the orphan challenge in northern Uganda," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(12), pages 2628-2638, December.
    15. Yamano, Takashi & Shimamura, Yasuharu & Sserunkuuma, Dick, 2006. "Living Arrangements and Schooling of Orphaned Children and Adolescents in Uganda," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 54(4), pages 833-856, July.
    16. Case, Anne & Lin, I-Fen & McLanahan, Sara, 2000. "How Hungry Is the Selfish Gene?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 110(466), pages 781-804, October.
    17. repec:pri:rpdevs:case_paxson_orphansafrica is not listed on IDEAS
    18. David Bishai & El Daw Suliman & Heena Brahmbhatt & Fred Wabwire-Mangen & Godfrey Kigozi & Nelson Sewankambo & David Serwadda & Maria Wawer & Ron Gray, 2003. "Does biological relatedness affect child survival?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 8(9), pages 261-278.
    19. Frederick J. Zimmerman, 2003. "Cinderella Goes to School: The Effects of Child Fostering on School Enrollment in South Africa," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 38(3).
    20. Roby, Jini L. & Erickson, Lance & Nagaishi, Chanel, 2016. "Education for children in sub-Saharan Africa: Predictors impacting school attendance," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 110-116.
    21. David Moher & Alessandro Liberati & Jennifer Tetzlaff & Douglas G Altman & The PRISMA Group, 2009. "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(7), pages 1-6, July.
    22. Lauren Bachan, 2014. "Anticipatory child fostering and household economic security in Malawi," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 30(40), pages 1157-1188.
    23. Nyambedha, Erick Otieno & Wandibba, Simiyu & Aagaard-Hansen, Jens, 2003. "Changing patterns of orphan care due to the HIV epidemic in western Kenya," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 57(2), pages 301-311, July.
    24. Madhavan, Sangeetha, 2004. "Fosterage patterns in the age of AIDS: continuity and change," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 58(7), pages 1443-1454, April.
    25. repec:pri:cheawb:case_paxson_orphansafrica.pdf is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sharley, Victoria & Leonard, Emmerentia & Ananias, Janetta & Ottaway, Heather, 2020. "Child fosterage in Namibia: The impact of informal care arrangements upon children’s health and welfare," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    2. Bennell, Paul, 2021. "The educational attainment of orphans in high HIV countries in sub-Saharan Africa: An update," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    3. Cho, Esther Yin-Nei & Yu, Fuk-Yuen, 2020. "A review of measurement tools for child wellbeing," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lauren Gaydosh, 2015. "Childhood Risk of Parental Absence in Tanzania," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 52(4), pages 1121-1146, August.
    2. Cassandra Cotton, 2021. "An Enduring Institution? Child Fostering in Sub‐Saharan Africa," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 47(4), pages 1179-1206, December.
    3. Beegle, Kathleen & Filmer, Deon & Stokes, Andrew & Tiererova, Lucia, 2010. "Orphanhood and the Living Arrangements of Children in Sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(12), pages 1727-1746, December.
    4. Christian Kweku Darko & Fiona Carmichael, 2020. "Education of Biological and Fostered Children in Ghana: The Influence of Relationships with the Household Head and Household Structure," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(4), pages 487-504, May.
    5. Monica Grant & Sara Yeatman, 2014. "The Impact of Family Transitions on Child Fostering in Rural Malawi," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 51(1), pages 205-228, February.
    6. Bose-Duker, Theophiline & Henry, Michael & Strobl, Eric, 2021. "Child fostering and the educational outcomes of Jamaican children," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    7. Badaoui, Eliane & Mangiavacchi, Lucia, 2022. "Assessing the impact of fostering on children’s outcomes in Niger," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).
    8. El Badaoui, Eliane & Mangiavacchi, Lucia, 2018. "Fostering, Child Welfare, and Ethnic Cultural Values," IZA Discussion Papers 11691, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Sophie Hedges & Rebecca Sear & Jim Todd & Mark Urassa & David Lawson, 2019. "Earning their keep? Fostering, children's education, and work in north-western Tanzania," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 41(10), pages 263-292.
    10. Lauren Bachan, 2014. "Anticipatory child fostering and household economic security in Malawi," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 30(40), pages 1157-1188.
    11. Ueyama, Mika, 2007. "Mortality, mobility, and schooling outcomes among orphans: Evidence from Malawi," IFPRI discussion papers 710, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    12. Aramide Kazeem & Leif Jensen, 2017. "Orphan status, school attendance, and relationship to household head in Nigeria," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 36(22), pages 659-690.
    13. Kathleen Beegle & Joachim De Weerdt & Stefan Dercon, 2006. "Orphanhood and the Long-Run Impact on Children," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 88(5), pages 1266-1272.
    14. Karimli, Leyla & Ssewamala, Fred M. & Ismayilova, Leyla, 2012. "Extended families and perceived caregiver support to AIDS orphans in Rakai district of Uganda," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(7), pages 1351-1358.
    15. Christopher Hearle & Kanchana Ruwanpura, 2009. "Contentious Care: Foster Care Grants and the Caregiver-Orphan Relationship in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(4), pages 423-437.
    16. Kasedde, Susan & Doyle, Aoife M. & Seeley, Janet A. & Ross, David A., 2014. "They are not always a burden: Older people and child fostering in Uganda during the HIV epidemic," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 161-168.
    17. Mather, David, 2011. "Poverty, AIDS, Orphanhood, Gender, and Child Schooling in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review of the Evidence," Food Security International Development Working Papers 119319, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    18. Eric V. Edmonds & Maheshwor Shrestha, 2013. "Independent child labor migrants," Chapters, in: Amelie F. Constant & Klaus F. Zimmermann (ed.), International Handbook on the Economics of Migration, chapter 5, pages 98-120, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    19. Roby, Jini L. & Erickson, Lance & Nagaishi, Chanel, 2016. "Education for children in sub-Saharan Africa: Predictors impacting school attendance," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 110-116.
    20. Christopher Ksoll, 2007. "Family Networks and Orphan Caretaking in Tanzania," Economics Series Working Papers 361, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:98:y:2019:i:c:p:178-187. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.