The Stability of Child Fostering in Sub‐Saharan Africa
The Case of Senegal
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10796908 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maria Pohl (0009-0008-2443-1223, Battery Park, corresponding author), Ewa Batyra (0000-0002-2967-1508, Centre for Demographic Studies), Albert Esteves (0000-0001-9916-386X, Centre for Demographic Studies) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 56 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 113-134 |
| Publication date | 2025-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Studies in Family Planning (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0039-3665 • E-ISSN: 1728-4465 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/sifp.12284 |
| PMID | 40017006 |
| OpenAlex | W4408070259 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 46 |
In sub‐Saharan Africa, child out‐fostering is a traditional social practice, and research suggests stable levels of out‐fostering over time, yet the underlying demographic and socioeconomic factors driving this stability have remained largely unexplored. To gain insight into the prevalence and associations of child out‐fostering and mothers’ individual and household characteristics, we analyzed nine rounds of Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data of Senegalese mothers of children aged 0–14, collected between 1986 and 2019. Child out‐fostering has remained stable, with nearly one‐third of mothers of children aged 0–14 living apart from at least one child. Our findings indicate that at the macro‐level, counteracting fertility and child mortality dynamics contribute to this stability. At the micro‐level, out‐fostering is influenced by a complex interplay of maternal demographic, socioeconomic, and household characteristics. The role of demographic macro‐level factors demands further research attention in the context of persisting child fostering across sub‐Saharan Africa. The results further suggest that changes, such as postponement of motherhood, as well as further declines in fertility and infant mortality, could affect fostering arrangements in the future
Developing country · Economic growth · Economics · Geography · Socioeconomics · Child Welfare and Adoption · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare
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| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |