Kinship Navigation Cross-Site Learning Collaborative
What Are “Kinship Families” And What Do They Need?
Kinship families are families that are caring for the child of a relative or close friend. The most common example of this is a grandparent caring for a grandchild. Another common example is an aunt or uncle caring for a niece or nephew. A less common example is a close family friend caring for a friend’s child.
CDCI is partnering with Vermont Kin as Parents (VKAP) and DCF-Family Services to better understand how to meet the needs of kinship families in Vermont. Project partners in Maine, Montana, and Wyoming are also investigating what kinship families need in their states. Project partners from all four states come together at least once a month to share what they have learned. This project is called the Kinship Navigation Cross-Site Learning Collaborative.
We wanted to know:
Do families that receive the new service model have better outcomes than families that receive the previous service model?
If the teams in each of the four states are able to prove that the new service model does a better job meeting the needs of kinship families, then our new model of service provision could become a model for other states.
When children cannot be safely cared for by their biological parents, research has found that children have better outcomes when they can be placed with someone known to them, like a relative or family friend. Often, this allows the child to maintain important connections to their extended family, school, and community.
We know that kinship families need support. Sometimes they are asked to take in a family member very quickly. Kinship caregivers may feel stressed about meeting the needs of the child in their care. They may not know what services or support are available to meet their needs.
There are many different situations that lead to a kinship care arrangement.
For some families, DCF-Family Services Division may have asked the relative to take in their family members’ child due to safety concerns. In the research literature, we call these families “formal kinship families,” because their may be formal policies that govern if or when the child will return to their biological parent. Other families may agree amongst themselves that it is best for a child to live with a relative temporarily. In the research literature, we call these families “informal kinship families,” because these decisions are made internally by family members without formal oversight by the child welfare agency.
We know that formal kinship families and informal kinship families may need different kinds of supports.
In January 2021, we sent a survey out to a variety of people with experience and expertise in kinship care. These people were our stakeholders.
We asked them to identify the kinds of support that kinship families need.
Using the information provided by our stakeholders, the cross-site collaboration team created a new model for providing support to kinship families. It is important that our model reflected the input we received from a diverse voices with experience in kinship care.
Based on this input, we identified six components of kinship family support. We created a service model based on these six components. And now we’re testing this service model.
The six components are:
- Partnerships between kinship families and organizations
- Outreach, information, and referral
- Needs assessment and case management
- Caregiver education
- Peer-to-peer support
- Urgent needs and real-world goods
We began to collect data in July 2022, and collected data through July 2023.
Why is this research important?
This research represents a prevention effort. By supporting kinship families when they agree to take in a relative or friend’s child, we can prevent the child from coming into the foster care system. This allows the child to remain connected to their extended family, school, and community.
Author
- Valerie F. Wood, PhD. Building Bright Futures Vermont