A comprehensive study on strengthening kinship care in the child welfare system

Why This Matters

Kinship care provides better outcomes for children in foster care. Kin caregivers help maintain children's connections with their families and communities, increase stability in school attendance and other socio-emotional development factors, and minimize the trauma of family separation. However, significant barriers still exist within the system that prevent the full realization of kinship care's potential. This report not only identifies these challenges but also provides concrete recommendations for creating a truly kin-first child welfare system.

How We Got Here

In recent years, there's been a growing recognition of the vital role that family and trusted adults play in a child's life, especially during challenging times. This understanding has led to a shift in child welfare practices, with agencies increasingly prioritizing kinship care. 

Adding to this momentum, the federal government introduced new rules in 2023 allowing states to create kin-specific licensing standards. This change opens up exciting possibilities for states to better support kinship families and improve outcomes for children in care.

And in March 2024, Think of Us co-hosted a National Convening on Kinship Care in Washington, D.C. with the U.S. Administration for Children and Families Children's Bureau. The event brought together policymakers, advocates, practitioners, and child welfare agency leaders representing about 20% of youth in the child welfare system. Our discussions highlighted the urgent need for more research and guidance on enhancing kinship care nationwide.

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Key Recommendations

• Expand the definition of "kin" to include both relatives and other adults with a close, family-like relationship to the child or their family.

• Streamline approval and licensing processes for kin caregivers, reducing bureaucratic hurdles and timelines.

• Provide equal financial support to licensed and unlicensed kin caregivers, starting immediately upon placement.

• Implement new accountability policies to encourage continuous kin search, including at every placement change and before approving non-kin placements.

• Cultivate anti-bias and cultural competency amongst caseworkers, and hire those with more personal and professional experience in the communities they serve.

• Invest in dedicated kinship care units and kinship service providers to work with kin from the moment of removal and provide ongoing resource support.

• Offer more flexible and accessible court scheduling protocols for kin, recognizing the challenges they face in attending hearings and appointments.

• Provide comprehensive family mental health support, including family-based services and kin-parent mediation to address boundary issues and other challenges.

• Conduct pre-permanency planning to identify support needs of parents and/or kin caregivers and offer continued support post-permanency.

• Improve interstate placement practices, including developing protocols for placing outgoing cases where trans and queer youth move to states with restrictions on medical access and gender expression.

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Our Approach

This project strived to center lived experience at all stages:

• The research team included staff with lived experience and experts from the Ending the Need for Group Placements workgroup
  
• Young people, kinship caregivers, and parents were engaged through trauma-informed approaches
  
• Direct quotes from participants were used throughout the report to ensure their voices were heard
  
• A social worker was available to provide counseling if needed
  
• Participants received compensation and support for transportation and childcare

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Lived Experts Engaged

• Youth
  
• Kin
  
• Parents
  
• Agency staff
  
• Service providers
  
• Legal professionals
  
• Casey Family Programs
  
• A Second Chance, Inc.
  
• Lived experts from the Ending the Need for Group Placements workgroup, and Social workers