Abstract
This study from the Special Issue on Kinship Care of the Child Welfare Journal examines the characteristics of children and their caregivers, the extent of children’s prior involvement in the child welfare system and the factors associated with placement instability in informal kinship care. A survey of kinship caregivers and child welfare administrative records were used to answer these questions. The study sample includes 321 children who were living with caregivers at the time of the initial survey. Caregivers had a wide range of ages and one third of them live below poverty.Two thirds of children had prior CPS involvement and one quarter had been placed in foster care before moving in with current kin caregivers. The GEE model indicates that the child under age of 1 was far more likely to enter non-kinship foster care within one-year period and older age of caregivers was a stabilizing factor. Findings indicate that maltreated children move in and out of the child welfare system. Child welfare workers need to inform caregivers of the option to become licensed kin foster caregivers instead of asking them to take children “voluntarily.” Informal kinship placement of children should merit further examination as a child welfare service and deserves recognition, financial assistance, and support services.