What is KEEP?

KEEP (Keeping Foster and Kinship Parents Supported and Trained) is a group training programme designed for non-relative and kinship (family and friends) carers with children in placement aged between 3 and 17 years.  There are 3 separate KEEP programmes:

• KEEP P for carers with children aged 3-6 years
• KEEP Standard for carers with children aged 5-12 years
• KEEP Safe for carers with young people aged 12-17 years

The 16 week parent training programme (or 20 weeks for KEEP Safe) was developed by Dr Patti Chamberlain and her colleagues in Oregon, USA and was shown to have positive results in a study of 700 foster carers in San Diego. 

Since 2009, the programme has been running here in England and there is growing evidence of very good outcomes here too.