Reality Check

Recently there has been a renewed interest in family placement, its effectiveness and its value for money. What Works in Adoption and Foster Care? reviews changes in policy and practice and will assist managers and practitioners in family and childcare social work to make decisions based on sound evidence about where to place children and what sort of practice is likely to bring about the desired outcomes for children, birth relatives, foster carers and the adoptive family. The authors explore the factors that research indicates are likely to be associated with positive outcomes, how practice can be evaluated and what outcome measures can be used, and also look at the shortcoming of this research.