Resulting from collaboration between leading academics and the national charity the Fostering Network, this book captures the debates on the provision of foster care in the United Kingdom at the beginning of the twenty-first century. This collection of papers offers critical comment on current governmental policy, reports on empirical research, and offers theoretical reflections on practice. The context for the policy and the debates is provided by a narrative that traces the origins of child care from the Elizabethan Poor Law, and asks questions about the provision of care in the future. Key themes covered in the chapters: Politics and policy - the ideological foundations of recent initiatives and the implications for the care of children and young people Service delivery - public and private approaches to provision and the professionalization of foster care Service users - the needs of children and young people and the barriers to their social inclusion on leaving care Diversity, identities and perspectives - kinship care, sexualities and the foster carer's perspective