Kinship

Final Rule & Kin-Specific Foster Home Approval Standards: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) concern the Kin-Specific Foster Home Approval Standards. These questions were collected during two Network webinars and through technical assistance requests. The Kin-Specific Standards are the only national model of such standards and were developed to … Read More

Predicting Maltreatment in Foster Homes: The Role of Child Welfare Agency Policies

Although maltreatment of children living in substitute care has significant negative consequences for both the children who experience it and for child welfare agencies, research examining this outcome is underdeveloped and has focused on a limited number of risk factors. … Read More

Kinship Legal Toolkit

Nearly 2.5 million children in the U.S. are growing up in kinship families being raised by relatives, or close family friends. Research is clear – when children can’t stay with their parents, they do best with kin. Kinship families offer greater stability … Read More

Louisiana Kinship Navigator

Introduction Kinship Care is the full-time care if children by relatives or others who have a kinship bond with a child and whose parents are not living in the home. You may be a grandparent, an aunt or uncle, sister … Read More

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

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