This report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation assesses the practice of kinship care within the United States, reflecting upon the widespread use of this care practice, the complexities facing families involved in this form of care and the interventions and supports proven to assist in its success. While specific to the United States, discussions and recommendations can be assessed for application in other global settings.
Extended family members and close family friends care for more than 2.7 million children in America, an increase of almost 18 percent over the past decade. The vast majority of these living arrangements are established informally within families. Nevertheless, about 104,000 of these children have been placed with kin formally, as part of the state-supervised foster care system. In fact, children placed with kin by the formal foster care system represent one-fourth of all children who have been removed from their homes by the public child welfare system and placed in state custody. Whether they took in children through informal arrangements or through the state-supervised foster care system, all kinship caregivers face the emotional, physical, and financial strain of raising children who have experienced the trauma of parental separation. Many kinship caregivers take on this responsibility without government assistance, often because they do not realize they could get help. And even those who are able to get help find themselves navigating through thickets of bureaucratic rules and procedures that evolved without kinship families in mind.
With help, kinship caregivers have proven they can ensure that children are kept safe and healthy and are able to achieve their full potential. Smart investments in these caring families also save money. Their loving support enhances children’s development, preventing the need for more intrusive and expensive government interventions down the line. This policy report summarizes what we know about kinship care, identifies the problems and issues these families face, and recommends how we can best support caregivers as they step up to take responsibility for children in their extended families and communities.
