This section provides resources for kinship caregivers and outlines where relatives can go to find the support they need to be successful. Resources include handbooks and information about legal, financial, and other issues common to kinship families. The section also provides guidance on changing family dynamics and establishing permanency.
- Guides and Handbooks
- Legal and Financial Information
- Impact on Caregivers
- Changing Family Dynamics
- Establishing Permanency
GrandFacts: State Fact Sheets for Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children
Grandfamilies.org (2019)
Provides 52 State-specific factsheets, including information on kinship caregiver data, State programs and local resources, public benefits, educational assistance, legal information, and State laws. National information and resources for Washington, DC, are also included.
Grandfamilies and COVID-19: Families of Unique Origins Face Unique Challenges
Day-Burget (2020)
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Explores the unique challenges faced by grandfamilies during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlights the benefits of kinship caregiving, and lists policy and practice recommendations to support grandfamilies and kinship caregivers during the pandemic.
Grandfamilies Resources
Grandfamilies.org (2019)
Gives access to free and online resources in support of grandfamilies, including information on laws, financial assistance, health care, housing, caregiver support, education, and more. The site also includes links to national organizations and publications for kinship caregivers.
GRAND Resource: Help for Grandfamilies Impacted by Opioids and Other Substance Use
Generations United (2019)
Provides tips, useful information, and a list of resources to help grandfamilies, both inside and outside the foster care system, impacted by opioids or other substances.
Kinship Care and the Child Welfare System
Kinship Navigator Programs Practical Tips and Resources (PDF - 303 KB)
Generations United (2020)
Provides practical tips and resources for kinship navigator programs to assist caregivers in learning the programs and services. It also summarizes federal program requirements and tips for programs that build on these legal requirements.
Kinship Resources
Kids Matter, Inc. (2016)
Lists resources that aid kinship caregivers, including grandparents raising grandchildren, young adults raising younger siblings, and all forms of extended kinship families. The site also includes links to national organizations.
Partnering With Relatives to Promote Reunification
The Unique Dynamics of Shared/Co-Parenting in Kinship Families [Video]
Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network (2023)
Presents information to help child welfare professionals identify how kin caregivers use their strengths to protect, nurture, and stabilize the children in their care. This training touches on shared and coparenting strategies that provide well-being, safety, and stability for children in the care of kin caregivers. View Dr. Joseph Crumbley’s website for more information about the six-part training series Inherent Strengths in Kinship Families.