Biological relatives:forgotten caregivers

The needs of biological relatives can often be overlooked because caseworkers are charged to act in the best interest of the child, meet the demands of foster parents and assume large court and paperwork responsibilities. Using a case study approach of a private therapeutic foster care agency located in Washington, DC, this study examines the needs of biological parents from the perspective of both the biological parents (n = 14) and child welfare workers (n = 14). It also addresses both systemic and personal barriers associated with the engagement and involvement of the biological parent. Findings are that there are varying levels of involvement of the biological parent; however, there is often confusion surrounding engagement practices absent reunification as a goal. This is especially relevant for kinship care where the goal of reunification is sometimes obscured by the placement of children with their families. Policy and practice implications are discussed with an emphasis on increasing the focus on biological relatives in the kinship care network. doi:10.1300/J045v22n03_08.