The Sustainability of Substitute Family Care for Children Separated from Their Families by War: Evidence from Mozambique

Abstract

This article presents the findings of an empirical study exploring the sustainability of the substitute family in supporting children separated from their families during Mozambique's 16-year civil conflict. It describes shifts in the boundaries that have defined arrangements for the care of children separated from their normative family care givers and shows that, contrary to received wisdom based on traditional forms of child care, children and substitute families have achieved lasting relationships through new forms of mutual support that typify indigenous coping mechanisms in times of stress