The Impacts of Income, Region, and Reason for Placement on Reported Kinship Caregiver Challenges and Needs

Abstract

Kinship placement has been shown to be superior to foster care in increasing permanency and safety for children. Despite the many benefits of kinship placement, kinship caregivers receive less support than foster family, this creates unique challenges. This study analyzes data from a statewide kinship caregiver survey which collected demographic data, challenges, and needs. 865 kinship caregivers reported their top three challenges and needs. Needs were stratified by caregiver and child characteristics. We found that there are striking differences in reported challenges and needs based on income, region, and reason for placement. This further demonstrates the need for support for kinship families and can help develop targeted policies to alleviate challenges faced by kinship caregivers across the state.