ABSTRACT
This chapter describes how global and social change has influenced local norms and practices of kinship-based child fosterage in northern Benin. Before the arrival of the French colonizers, embedded in a violent context of raids and threat, child fosterage was interpreted as being a cross-cutting tie between kin, as a means to peace and cohesion. Child fosterage was seen as a practice to create cohesion in kinship ties, not as a means to influence the future life chances of children. This practice began to change with the arrival of the French, who put an end to the ongoing violence, monopolizing power and violence in the colonial state. The result is that biological parents now want to maintain the right to make crucial decisions for their children and not to hand this over to foster parents. Fostering practices have gained new currency in the struggle of people to access career opportunities for their children.
