Volume 41 - Article 10 | Pages 263–292  

Earning their keep? Fostering, children's education, and work in north-western Tanzania

By Sophie Hedges, Rebecca Sear, Jim Todd, Mark Urassa, David Lawson

Abstract

Background: Fostering, raising children that are not one’s biological children, is common in many societies worldwide. Despite predicted lower investment in nonbiological offspring, numerous studies report no obvious well-being penalty for fostered children. Building on prior research, we suggest that fostering is incentivised by close relatedness between foster child and caregivers and that children’s work contributions can offset their costs to fostering households.

Methods: We used multilevel logistic and fractional multinomial regression analyses to investigate the association between fostering, educational investment, and time allocation in a sample of 1,273 Sukuma children (aged 7–19) from northwestern Tanzania, where fostering is traditionally common.

Results: Twenty-six per cent of children are fostered, with most having at least one living parent. Children fostered by close kin have similar educational outcomes to those living with both biological parents, though their grade for age is lower, perhaps reflecting differences in timing rather than overall level of investment. Those fostered by distant kin are less likely to be enrolled or to progress to secondary school. Overall, fostered children are more likely to do farm work; however on weekdays when work conflicts with school, differences in time allocation to work activities are not pronounced. We further find that orphans are generally not particularly disadvantaged compared to other fostered children.

Conclusions: Being fostered by close kin does not appear to disadvantage children, and buffers orphans from parental death. Fostered children may offset some of their costs through increased farm work.

Contribution: We extend previous work in this area through analysis of detailed time allocation data, providing insights into associations between fostering and children’s workload.

Author's Affiliation

• Sophie Hedges - London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom EMAIL
• Rebecca Sear - Brunel University London, United Kingdom EMAIL
• Jim Todd - London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom EMAIL
• Mark Urassa - National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania, United Republic Of EMAIL
• David Lawson - University of California, Berkeley, United States of America EMAIL

Other articles by the same author/authors in Demographic Research

Transitions to adulthood in men and women in rural Malawi in the 21st century using sequence analysis: Some evidence of delay
Volume 51 - Article 14

Polygynous marriage and child health in sub-Saharan Africa: What is the evidence for harm?
Volume 39 - Article 6

Supportive families versus support from families: The decision to have a child in the Netherlands
Volume 37 - Article 14

Does grandparental help mediate the relationship between kin presence and fertility?
Volume 34 - Article 17

Does the kin orientation of a British woman’s social network influence her entry into motherhood?
Volume 28 - Article 11

Most recent similar articles in Demographic Research

Is single parenthood increasingly an experience of less-educated mothers? A European comparison over five decades
Volume 51 - Article 34    | Keywords: age, children, cross-national comparison, education, Europe, family life course, inequality, single motherhood

Children under 5 in polygynous households in sub-Saharan Africa, 2000 to 2020
Volume 51 - Article 32    | Keywords: children, Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), family demography, polygyny, sub-Saharan Africa

A multidimensional global migration model for use in cohort-component population projections
Volume 51 - Article 11    | Keywords: age dependency, education, international migration, migration, modelling, population projection, projections

Are highly educated partners really more gender egalitarian? A couple-level analysis of social class differentials in attitudes and behaviors
Volume 50 - Article 34    | Keywords: attitudes, couple analysis, education, educational level, gender, gender roles, housework, social class differentials

The influence of parental cancer on the mental health of children and young adults: Evidence from Norwegian register data on healthcare consultations
Volume 50 - Article 27    | Keywords: cancer, children, fixed effects, longitudinal, mental health, parents registers