In this article Sylvia McCracken and Isobel Reilly apply systemic theory and practice to the assessment of foster carers. The authors believe that insufficient attention is paid to the foster carers' family context and propose that the systemic approach provides a useful framework with which to address the complexities of fostering. Their systemic position derives from both the research findings on fostering outcomes and the recently articulated voices of the birth children of foster carers. Beginning with an analysis of the concerns currently impacting on fostering services and the aims which assessment is expected to achieve, the authors review and update the application of the systemic approach in foster care. An assessment model is developed, based on the premise that the foster family as a whole serves as the context for any placement.
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