While it is the case that the legal rights and responsibilities of these parent-figures vary across the region,1, our review concentrates on everyday care practices, or de facto parenting, rather than distinguishing those with legal responsibilities from those without. We begin with the understanding that relatives orfictive kin (not based on blood or marriage) are potential alternative sources of parent-like care. Drawing on the available literature we comment on the extent to which parent-figures can substitute for biological parents, or mothers for fathers, in the eyes of adolescents (see Chapter 1). In southern and east Africa the likelihood of sole or large household responsibilities increases with age, particularly for adolescent girls (Dannerbeck & Muriuki, 2007).