The following resources provide information on supporting and meeting the needs of kinship caregivers as they navigate the path toward permanency for children in their care. The resources include State and local examples.
Achieving Permanence for Children in Relative Foster Care: Relative Adoptions and Subsidized Guardianships
Boyer (2015)
Court-Appointed Special Advocates for Children
Examines how relative caregivers can mitigate the short-term and long-term consequences of neglect and abuse and reviews new developments and ongoing challenges to permanence and kinship care.
The Child Welfare Placement Continuum: What's Best for Children?
National Conference of State Legislatures (2016)
Describes types of placements for foster children and why kinship care is often the least restrictive, most family-like environment available and therefore the most preferred.
Children in Kinship Care Experience Improved Placement Stability, Higher Levels of Permanency, and Decreased Behavioral Problems: Findings From the Literature (PDF - 81 KB)
Child Focus (2014)
Explains research that shows children have better outcomes in kinship families, including improved placement stability, higher levels of permanency, and decreased behavioral problems. This literature review examines the recent literature on kinship care and summarizes findings.
Guidance for Foster/Kinship Caregivers (PDF - 529 KB)
Szilagyi (2014)
American Academy of Pediatrics, Healthy Foster Care America
Provides information for kinship caregivers to help them successfully navigate kinship care. The guide includes a section on permanency planning, which reviews reunification, adoption, and aging out of care.
Kinship Foster Caregivers: Partners for Permanency
Soine (2013)
Social Work Today, 13(5)
Discusses permanency planning and access to services for formal and informal kinship caregivers. The article reviews permanency planning from a policy context and in terms of informal and formal care. It also lists supports and services for kinship caregivers to help children achieve permanency.
Kinship Involvement Linked to Better Psychological Adjustment for Youth
Children's Bureau Express, 18(6)
Provides a link to a study that found youth in foster care have fewer psychological adjustment issues and negative behaviors when extended and noncustodial family members are involved in their lives. Study results show kinship involvement can mitigate youth's externalizing behaviors.
New Research on the Characteristics, Needs of Kinship Adoptive Families
Children's Bureau Express, 18(6)
Summarizes a literature review in a recent issue of Adoption Quarterly on the latest research on placement decisions and outcomes for children adopted by relatives. The authors note that kinship placements and adoptions have been steadily rising since the 1990s and lead to better outcomes for children in foster care.
Paths to Permanence: Kin Guardianship and Adoption (PDF - 392 KB)
Rowe (2013)
Adoption Advocate, 59
Describes several types of kinship care and explains that children living in these arrangements are more likely to find permanent homes through guardianship than children who reside with nonrelatives. The article also examines the benefits of kin guardianship and adoption for children and addresses some concerns surrounding these arrangements.
State and local examples
Options for Relatives
Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
Discusses research that shows children thrive best when placed in kinship care and explains types of approvals for kinship care in Georgia.
Permanency Care Assistance
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
Summarizes the Permanency Care Assistance program, which gives financial support to kinship caregivers who want to provide a permanent home to relative children in Texas.
Permanency Planning Options: Fit and Willing Relative
Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange (2017)
Examines the permanency goal of placement with a fit and willing relative, which is typically the preferred placement for children who cannot remain in their birth homes in Michigan.
Supporting Permanency of Children in Foster Care Through Relative Placement
University of Minnesota, Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (2016)
Discusses kinship care as a path to permanency in Minnesota and reviews kinship assistance available to relative caregivers in the State.