Kinship

New Insights on State Kinship Diversion Policies

Defining Kinship Diversion Many families rely on kin — relatives and close family friends — to provide support in times of crisis or when a parent may need extra help. It is common for kin to step in to provide … Read More

New Report Emphasizes Importance of Post-permanency Services

A recent report from the National Center for Enhanced Post-Adoption Support, Post-Permanency Services: A Worthwhile Investment, emphasizes how critical postpermanency services are in promoting child well-being and long-term permanency for adoptive and guardianship families. The publication highlights key research findings on … Read More

November Is National Adoption Month

The 2024 National Adoption Month campaign website has launched on Child Welfare Information Gateway. This year’s theme, “Honoring Youth: Strengthening Pathways for Lasting Bonds,” emphasizes the importance of uplifting and genuinely listening to the voices of children and youth who are adopted and … Read More

New Insights on State Kinship Diversion Policies

FAMILY TIES: ANALYSIS FROM A STATE-BY-STATE SURVEY OF KINSHIP CARE POLICIES DEFINING KINSHIP DIVERSION Many families rely on kin — relatives and close family friends — to provide support in times of crisis or when a parent may need extra … Read More

Supporting Kinship Families of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children

Introduction n recent years, record numbers of unaccompanied immigrant children (UC) have crossed into the United States. Between 2017 and 2022, over 385,000 UC were apprehended crossing U.S. borders. This special population of immigrants are defined as children under the age of 18 who … Read More

Strategies for Recruiting Foster and Adoptive Families of Color

A webinar from AdoptUSKids focuses on “Recruiting Foster and Adoptive Families of Color: Stories and Strategies From Leaders of Color in Child Welfare.” The presenters discuss the racial disproportionality rates, the impact of institutional and structural racism, and why families of color … Read More

Defining and Measuring the Complexity of Stepfamilies in the United States

Overview Stepfamilies are common in the United States. By definition, these families occur when an individual or the person with whom they are partnering through marriage or cohabitation has a child from a past relationship. There are many types of stepfamilies, … Read More

Adoption and Guardianship for Children in Kinship Foster Care

Generations United with support from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, created the following brief, national comparison chart, and state-specific charts that focus on adoption and guardianship for children in kinship foster care so that these children can exit foster … Read More

Grandfamilies disproportionately at-risk for food insecurity, advocates say

By Brian Rinker It was under tragic circumstances when 2-year-old Alivia went to live with her grandmother, Corrinna Martin, in West Haven Connecticut. Alivia had survived a brutal domestic violence slaying that killed her mother, Chaquinequea Brodie, 29, and her older sister, … Read More

Advances in Supporting Kinship Caregivers

Kinship care refers to the care of children by relatives or, in some jurisdictions, close family friends (often referred to as fictive kin). Relatives are the preferred resource for children who must be removed from their birth parents because it … Read More