Topic: Kinship Caregiver Support Programs
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.
The CEBC also provides information on financial support programs for kinship caregivers.
- 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).
Programs in this Topic Area
The programs listed below have been reviewed by the CEBC and, if appropriate, been rated using the Scientific Rating Scale.
Topic Expert
The Kinship Caregiver Support Programs topic area was added in 2017. Jill Duerr Berrick, PhD was the topic expert and was involved in identifying and rating any of the programs with an original load date in 2017 (as found on the bottom of the program's page on the CEBC) or others loaded earlier and added to this topic area when it launched. The topic area has grown over the years and any programs added since 2017 were identified by CEBC staff, the Scientific Panel, and/or the Advisory Committee. For these programs, Dr. Berrick was not involved in identifying or rating them.
