ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on kinship care in Poland and deals with the long-established pattern of caring for children within the kinship system when parents are prevented from providing the care their child needs. It examines the ways in which changing political regimes and shifts in social policy have affected kinship care, and shows that the commitment of extended families is remarkably resilient, continuing strongly whether supported, ignored or opposed by the State. Within the new political shift of the 'modern' 1970s, kinship care by grandparents became more politically acceptable and, gradually, a more recognised form of care. Kinship fostering occurs mainly within families of lower social and economic status. Kinship fostering has been criticised for providing a low quality of care. Kinship foster caregivers are suspected of using the system, even collaborating with the natural parents in order to take advantage of the State subsidy.
