This brief explores how states are approaching kinship care by examining states’ definitions of kinship caregivers, the prevalence of children in foster care living with relatives or kin, states’ adoption of separate licensing standards for kinship homes, and states’ participation in kinship navigator programs through the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse. Key findings include:
In Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), most children in foster care lived in non-kinship settings. 39% lived with relatives or kin.
Kinship care – care by a relative or another adult with a close relationship with the child – is associated with many positive outcomes for children who cannot safely remain in their homes, making it often the recommended option for such children.
Across states, there is variation in the degree of specificity in how kinship caregivers are defined, with some states having more narrow definitions of a “relative.” All states (except Alabama) and DC include fictive kin – those with an emotionally significant relationship with the child or child’s parent – as eligible kinship caregivers.