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Kinship Care: Supporting those Who Raise Our Children (PDF)
By Donna M Butts , Ed.
Elders as Resources: Intergenerational Strategies Series; 2005

Summary: This brief provides background information about kinship care and presents examples of innovative programs and policies organized around selected Making Connections core results. More than six million children across the country live in homes maintained by grandparents or other relatives. Many children thrive in kinship care. Children living with relatives maintain connections to their family members, traditions, and identity. Research indicates that kinship caregiving saves taxpayers billions over other options. Unfortunately, children in kinship care families face a continuum of challenges to their well-being, often sparked by the difficulty caregivers have obtaining legal relationships to them. The lack of a legal relationship can impede the ability to obtain financial assistance, affordable housing, supportive services, medical care, health insurance, and educational enrollment. Challenges to and opportunities for strengthening kinship families are discussed. Advocates should educate policy-makers and the public on the need for subsidized guardianship, kinship housing, and other supportive policies. Existing programs can address a range of needs for kinship care families by: (1) starting support groups for kinship caregivers, (2) training staff about unique needs and resources, and (3) building relationships and improving communication between child- and youth-serving organizations and local Area Agencies on Aging. National and State organizations are listed for more information on kinship care.

Index Terms: Early Childhood Education, Family Friend and Neighbor Child Care, Intergenerational Child Care, Kinship Care

Publisher: Annie E. Casey Foundation

Publication Type: Reports (Descriptive)

Pages: 22 pages
Language: English
URL: http://www.aecf.org/upload/PublicationFiles/Kincare.pdf

Availability
Annie E. Casey Foundation
701 St. Paul Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
410-547-6600
FAX: 410-547-6624
webmail@aecf.org
http://www.aecf.org/

 
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