Based on their experience as workers with the London-based Barnardo's Positive Options Project, Joan Fratter and Benigna Kiwanuka Ndagire discuss practice and policy issues arising from the need to plan for African children whose primary carers are living with HIV. They argue that what they have learned from African parents, carers, young people and children affected by the virus could be applied to families with children from a range of minority ethnic groups who are experiencing similar suffering and uncertainty through HIV or another life-threatening illness. A growing demand for the appropriate recruitment, training and support of permanent and ‘flexible’ foster carers is emphasised, as is the overall importance of ensuring that health factors and ethnicity are fully incorporated into planning to meet the needs of the whole child.
African Issues Group, Learning from African families: the experience of a multi-agency group of workers in London addressing the specific issues facing African families with children affected by HIV, originally published by the Local Government Management Board (photocopies available from Barnardo's Positive Options), 1995.
2.
BarnR (ed), Working with Black Children and Adolescents in Need, London: BAAF, 1999.
3.
Chinouya-MudariMO'BrienM, ‘African refugee children and HIV/AIDS in London’, in AggletonPHartGDaviesP (eds), Families and Communities Responding to AIDS, London: UCL Press, 1999.
4.
Coram Family, Positive Outcomes for Children and Families: Learning from the HIV Project, London: Coram Family, 1999.
5.
DuttR, ‘Placing refugee children’, Community Care, 29 April—5 May, p 30, 1999.
6.
FeldmanRNdofor-TahC, Developing Flexible Care: The East London childcare initiative, London: South Bank University, School of Education, Politics and Social Science, 1997.
7.
FratterJ, ‘Positive Options Planning Scheme’, in BattyD (ed), HIV Infection and Children in Need, London: BAAF, 1993.
8.
GreenwoodJ, ‘Assessing African carers: the experience of a white social worker’, in Coram Family, Positive Outcomes for Children and Families, as above.
9.
HarberM, ‘Transforming adoption in the “new” South Africa in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic’, Adoption & Fostering23:1, pp 6–15, 1999.
10.
KaniukJLindsay-SmithC, ‘Permanent placements for African children: issues for policy and practice’, in Coram Family, Positive Outcomes for Children and Families, as above.
11.
MatovuLMwatsamaMNdagireB, ‘Family patterns in East African comunities: implications for children affected by HIV/AIDS’, Adoption & Fostering22:1, pp 17–3, 1998.
12.
NamusisiJ, ‘Issues for children affected by HIV/AIDS’, ChildAIDS7, pp 1 & 8, 1995.
13.
National Foster Care Association, Towards a Positive Future, Report of a survey of local authority provision of short breaks foster care for children affected by HIV, London: NFCA, 1997.
14.
OrrN (ed), Children's Rights and HIV: A framework for action, London: National Children's Bureau, 1995.
15.
Terrence Higgins Trust, Best Practice for African Families Affected by HIV, Fostering seminar report, London: Terence Higgins Trust, 1999.
