Definition for Kinship Caregiver Support Programs:
Kinship Caregiver Support Programs are defined by the CEBC as programs that support the needs of kinship caregivers, such as training and education, financial services, and support groups. Kinship care refers to the care of children by relatives or, in some jurisdictions, close family friends (often referred to as fictive kin). Kinship care may be formal and involve a training and licensure process for the caregivers, along with monthly subsidies to help defray the costs of caring for the child, or may include voluntary or mediated kin caregivers referring to those relative caregivers caring for children following a child welfare agency assessment to ensure the safety and suitability of the home, or informal caregivers, referring to those relative caregivers caring for children privately, without the involvement of child welfare or other government agencies.
Target population: Potential and current kinship caregivers, including relatives (e.g., grandparent, sibling, etc.) and fictive kin (e.g., godparents, close family friends, etc.)
Services/types that fit: Interventions to orient new kinship caregivers or to provide training, skills development, education, or support for new or existing kinship caregivers
Delivered by: Child welfare workers, behavioral health professionals, or other professionals or paraprofessionals trained to deliver a kinship caregiver support program
In order to be included: Program must specifically identify the support needs of kinship caregivers as a goal
In order to be rated: There must be research evidence (as specified by the Scientific Rating Scale) that examines outcomes for the kinship caregiver (e.g., knowledge or skill, psychological support, improvement in kinship caregivers' satisfaction with their kinship role, or retention of the child in their home) or outcomes for the child(ren) in their care (e.g., placement stabilization, reunification).
Relative caregivers caring for children outside the foster care system
Topic Expert
Jill Duerr Berrick, PhD, Zellerbach Family Foundation Professor
Co-Director of the Center for Child and Youth Policy
School of Social Welfare, University of California
Berkeley, CA
