The American Bar Association (ABA) developed a tool for lawyers to use in trial or during their appellate arguments to help them advocate for kinship placement. Benefits of Kinship Placement includes information and resources that counsel may be able to include in their clinical summaries or to provide to experts, social workers, or any workgroup or committee in their jurisdiction. Counsel for parents and children who support kinship care can use this resource to advocate for and help caregivers obtain the benefits, supports, and services they need to be successful.
This resource provides talking points that include key takeaways and background information to educate those involved in the court about the benefits of kinship care and the issues that kin caregivers face and help counsel persuade judges and child welfare agencies to place children with kin. The talking points cover the various outcomes that tend to be better for children placed with kin compared with those who are not and include multiple citations or short summaries of specific resources.
Links are also provided to legal resources regarding kinship placements; research that supports advocating for appropriate services and resources to support kin caregivers; general recommendations for creating a kin-first culture; examples of the types of support services kin caregivers need to be successful; and cultural, racial, and ethnic considerations.
Benefits of Kinship Placement is available on the ABA website.