This report aims to review the literature available on what works to help people to make the complicated choice to become a home-based carer, and on the evidence regarding retention of these carers for children in out-of-home care.

Databases and sources of grey literature were searched for systematic reviews and literature reviews, mainly from 2005, and then for more recent individual studies on the major questions of this review:

1. What strategies work for attracting, engaging, supporting carers and retaining skilled carers in order to promote quality care for children and young people in family/home-based out-of-home care?

2. What evidence is there about the different models of care in terms of success in attracting, engaging, supporting and retaining these carers?