Kinship foster care for children in the child welfare system
Kinship foster care is an out-of-home arrangement (i.e., placement) for full-time care by relatives such as grandparents or uncles and aunts, or tribe members, godparents, or others who are not a child’s parent but have a family relationship with the child, when a child is removed from their home due to a safety concern such as child abuse and neglect. Children may be placed in kinship foster care through a child welfare agency (i.e., formal kinship care) or through informal, private arrangements (often with unlicensed kinship caregivers) as an alternative to placement with non-relative foster parents. Licensing process and requirements for kinship care (e.g., caregiver training, background checks, and household safety assessment) vary by state1, 2. A caregiver’s monthly payment through the federal Title IV-E program or state funds also varies by state and age of child3.
What could this strategy improve?
Expected Benefits
Our evidence rating is based on the likelihood of achieving these outcomes:
Increased foster care placement stability
Potential Benefits
Our evidence rating is not based on these outcomes, but these benefits may also be possible:
Improved mental health
Improved child behavior
Increased family reunification
What does the research say about effectiveness?
There is strong evidence that children in kinship foster care remain with the same foster family or caregiver longer (i.e., placement stability) than children in non-kinship foster care; kinship foster care leads to a reduced likelihood of re-entry to out-of-home care, less placement disruption, and fewer number of foster care placements than non-kinship foster care1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
Kinship foster care placement laws that prioritize relatives as potential foster caregivers can lead to greater numbers of kinship placements and a higher stability of placement in the short-term, and greater levels of child safety in the long term6. Children initially placed in kinship care experience fewer moves and less disruptions in care, which are linked to a lower risk of incarceration and teenage parenthood compared to those initially placed in non-kinship foster care5. Researchers suggest that kinship caregivers feel more committed to a child than non-kinship caregivers and are more likely to continue caring for the child despite behavioral problems and other difficulties9.
Children in kinship foster care may experience fewer behavioral problems1, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and fewer mental health problems1, 10, 11, 15 than children in non-kinship foster care in some circumstances. The impact of kinship care on behavioral problems may vary by characteristics of a child and caregivers and the quality of care16. Hispanic children in kinship foster care appear to experience less delinquency than Hispanic peers in non-kinship foster care in the long term; however, no such differences are apparent for Black or white female children16. Children age 6 or older in kinship care are less likely to have behavioral problems than peers in non-kinship foster care13, 14; infants in kinship care are also less likely to have motor and neurocognitive developmental delays17.
When caregiver depression levels are similar, children in kinship care may experience greater improvements in internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems compared to those in non-kinship foster care18. Black children who live with younger or healthier kinship caregivers appear less likely to have behavioral problems than those who live with older or less healthy caregivers19. Children entering the child welfare system who are at a higher risk for behavior problems are less likely to be placed in kinship foster care than in non-kinship foster care12.
Children in kinship care are as likely to reunite with their parents as children in non-kinship foster care1. Children in unlicensed (i.e. informal) kinship care are more likely to reunite with their parents than children in licensed kinship care20. Kinship care appears to lead to more guardianships and fewer adoptions than non-kinship foster care1, 4. Children age 9 or older in kinship care are more likely to feel connected to a caregiver than those in non-kinship foster care, but younger children are not more likely to feel connected21. Kinship caregivers are less likely to use mental health services for foster children than non-kin foster parents, perhaps due to caregiver’s characteristics and their relationship with the child welfare system, and differences in service needs1, 22, 23.
Experts recommend financial assistance and parenting support for kinship caregivers and children to increase the quality and permanency of placement, positive parenting, and family strengths11, 24. When studying kinship care, experts recommend strong research design and methods to address selection bias and control other factors, such as the quality of care and children’s behavioral and mental health when entering into the child welfare system10.
How could this strategy advance health equity? This strategy is rated potential to decrease disparities: suggested by expert opinion.
Kinship foster care has the potential to decrease disparities in placement stability and permanency for children from racially minoritized groups including Native American children, when kinship caregivers and children receive adequate services and support30, 31, 32. Overall, children from racially minoritized groups and LGBTQIA+ youth are overrepresented in the child welfare system and experience disproportionate societal harms30, 33, 34. Prioritizing the placement of children with kin in the child welfare system may mitigate trauma and promote healing among children, families, and communities from racially minoritized groups30; such efforts can promote children’s healthy development and cultural permanency by strengthening their connections to families and preserving their cultural identities and traditions, which especially benefits Black and Native American children30, 32, 35.
There is a shortage of social, economic, and mental health services available for children and caregivers in kinship care, despite their high service needs36. Services are even less available to caregivers in unlicensed (i.e., informal) kinship care compared to those in licensed kinship care37. Experts recommend increasing legal, social, and economic support for kinship caregivers and children, including those in informal kinship care10, 38, and engaging kinship caregivers in decision making and foster care policy development37, 38. Experts also recommend implementing state policies and programs for children and families from racially minoritized groups in the child welfare system to reduce inequity and discrimination33.
What is the relevant historical background?
From the 1970s to the 2000s, child welfare policy in the U.S. was caught between two competing goals – child protection and family preservation. In the 1970s and 1980s, family preservation was prioritized, which was influenced by a social movement for the rights of parents experiencing poverty. In contrast, the 1990s shifted focus to child safety and removal, aligning with punitive welfare policies (e.g., Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) that forced single mothers to work39.
In 1978, kinship care became an official option for foster care placement so that relatives were preferably considered when removing a child from home40. Historically, Black children have been more likely to live in kinship care, especially with grandparents, than children of other races and ethnicities41. In addition to their cultural practice of fostering children with relatives42, Black families emphasized kinship care as a means to overcome racial and economic oppression41. However, in the 20th century, informal kinship care and kin networks in Black families were excluded from the formal child welfare system42. Kinship care is also critical to tribal communities. While the traditional (i.e., Anglo-American) child welfare system solely emphasized child removal to achieve child safety, fundamental goals of tribal child welfare are safety, capacity building, restoring nurturing networks, and healing from trauma among tribal children, families, and communities38.
Equity Considerations
- Who are the children at risk of being removed from their home in your state and community? What resources and support are needed to support families in a situation where the children are at risk of being removed?
- Can kinship caregivers and children be involved in developing a service plan with child welfare service caseworkers? How can the child welfare system in your state and community better support kinship caregivers and children in terms of their basic, developmental, and cultural needs?
- What financial assistance, education, and training supports are available for kinship caregivers and children in your community? Are there disparities in access to such services between licensed non-kin foster parents, licensed kinship caregivers, and unlicensed kinship caregivers?
Implementation Examples
As of 2022, 41 states allow relatives who want to be licensed foster caregivers to begin caring for a child before completing all standard licensing requirements; out of those states, thirty provide provisionally licensed kinship caregivers with monthly foster care maintenance payments25. Thirteen states offer monthly foster care maintenance payments to unlicensed kinship caregivers26. Resources for kinship caregivers and children vary by state; for example, four states (Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, South Carolina) and Washington, D.C. provide comprehensive resources for provisionally licensed kinship caregivers, including child care, caregiver training, transportation, kinship navigation services, housing assistance, and legal services25. As of 2022, most U.S. states run kinship navigator programs to offer information, referrals, and services to licensed and unlicensed kin caregivers; example states include Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, Ohio, and Pennsylvania27.
In 2021, 35% of U.S. children who were in out-of-home placement in ages 0-20 lived with kinship foster caregivers and 44% lived with non-kin foster caregivers28. During 2022 and 2024, about 3% of the total child population in the U.S. were in kinship foster care29.
Implementation Resources
‡ Resources with a focus on equity.
CWIG-Kinship care resources - Child Welfare Information Gateway (CWIG). Resources for relatives and kinship caregivers.
AECF-Foster parent guide - The Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF). The foster parent resource guide: A trauma-informed caregiving approach. Baltimore, MD: The Annie E. Casey Foundation; 2017.
NICWA-Cross 2024‡ - Cross, T. L. & Meyerholz, M. (2024). Development and implementation of tribal foster care and relative/kinship care standards: Second edition. National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA), Generations United. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
Footnotes
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1 Cochrane-Winokur 2014 - Winokur M, Holtan A, Batchelder KE. Kinship care for the safety, permanency, and well-being of children removed from the home for maltreatment. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2014;(1):CD006546.
2 CWIG-Foster care statutes - Child Welfare Information Gateway (CWIG). Home study requirements for prospective foster parents. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau; 2018.
3 WPR-Foster care stipend - World Population Review (WPR). (2025). Foster care stipend by state 2025. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
4 Bell 2017 - Bell, T. & Romano, E. (2017). Permanency and safety among children in foster family and kinship care: A scoping review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 18(3), 268-286.
5 Sattler 2023 - Sattler, K. M. P., Herd, T., & Font, S. A. (2023). Foster care, kinship care, and the transition to adulthood: Do child welfare system processes explain differences in outcomes? Children and Youth Services Review, 153, 107098.
6 Hayduk 2017 - Hayduk, I. (2017). The effect of kinship placement laws on foster children’s well-being. The BE Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 17(1), 20160196.
7 Villodas 2016 - Villodas MT, Litrownik AJ, Newton RR, Davis IP. Long-term placement trajectories of children who were maltreated and entered the child welfare system at an early age: Consequences for physical and behavioral well-being. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 2016;41(1):46-54.
8 Zorc 2013 - Zorc CS, O’Reilly ALR, Matone M, et al. The relationship of placement experience to school absenteeism and changing schools in young, school-aged children in foster care. Children and Youth Services Review. 2013;35(5):826-833.
9 Rock 2015 - Rock S, Michelson D, Thomson S, Day C. Understanding foster placement instability for looked after children: A systemic review and narrative synthesis of quantitative and qualitative evidence. British Journal of Social Work. 2015;45(1):177-203.
10 Xu 2018a - Xu, Y. & Bright, C. L. (2018). Children's mental health and its predictors in kinship and non-kinship foster care: A systematic review. Children and Youth Services Review, 89, 243-262.
11 Washington 2018 - Washington, T., Wrenn, A., Kaye, H., Priester, M. A., Colombo, G., Carter, K., Shadreck, I., Hargett, B. A., Williams, J. A., & Coakley, T. (2018). Psychosocial factors and behavioral health outcomes among children in foster and kinship care: A systematic review. Children and Youth Services Review, 90, 118-133.
12 Ferraro 2022 - Ferraro, A. C., Maher, E. J., & Grinnell-Davis, C. (2022). Family ties: A quasi-experimental approach to estimate the impact of kinship care on child well-being. Children and Youth Services Review, 137, 106472.
13 Wu 2015 - Wu Q, White KR, Coleman KL. Effects of kinship care on behavioral problems by child age: A propensity score analysis. Children and Youth Services Review. 2015;57:1-8.
14 Perry 2018 - Perry KJ, Price JM. Concurrent child history and contextual predictors of children’s internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in foster care. Children and Youth Services Review. 2018;84:125-136.
15 Stein 2014 - Stein REK, Hurlburt MS, Heneghan AM, et al. Health status and type of out-of-home placement: Informal kinship care in an investigated sample. Academic Pediatrics. 2014;14(6):559-564.
16 Lee 2021b - Lee, J. J. & Holmes, L. (2021). Longitudinal trajectories of behavioral problems among children in out-of-home care: A systematic review. Children and Youth Services Review, 127, 106086.
17 Stacks 2011 - Stacks, A. M., & Partridge, T. (2011). Infants placed in foster care prior to their first birthday: Differences in kin and nonkin placements. Infant Mental Health Journal, 32(5), 489-508.
18 Garcia 2015 - Garcia, A., O’Reilly, A., Matone, M., Kim, M., Long, J., & Rubin, D. M. (2015). The influence of caregiver depression on children in non-relative foster care versus kinship care placements. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 19, 459-467.
19 Rufa 2016 - Rufa AK, Fowler PJ. Kinship foster care among African American youth: Interaction effects at multiple contextual levels. Journal of Social Service Research. 2016;42(1):26-40.
20 Ryan 2016 - Ryan, J. P., Perron, B. E., Moore, A., Victor, B., & Evangelist, M. (2016). Foster home placements and the probability of family reunification: Does licensing matter? Child Abuse & Neglect, 59, 88-99.
21 Hassall 2021 - Hassall, A., Janse van Rensburg, E., Trew, S., Hawes, D. J., & Pasalich, D. S. (2021). Does kinship vs. foster care better promote connectedness? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 24, 813-832.
22 Coleman 2016 - Coleman KL, Wu Q. Kinship care and service utilization: A review of predisposing, enabling, and need factors. Children and Youth Services Review. 2016;61:201-210.
23 Swanke 2016 - Swanke, J. R., Yampolskaya, S., Strozier, A., & Armstrong, M. I. (2016). Mental health service utilization and time to care: A comparison of children in traditional foster care and children in kinship care. Children and Youth Services Review, 68, 154-158.
24 RAND-Ringel 2017 - Ringel JS, Schultz D, Mendelsonn J, et al. Improving child welfare outcomes: Balancing investments in prevention and treatment. Santa Monica: RAND Corporation; 2017.
25 AECF-Kinship policy 2024a - The Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF). (2024, March 19). Unlocking foster care licensing for more kinship caregivers. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
26 AECF-Kinship policy 2024b - The Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF). (2024, April 8). Supporting unlicensed kinship caregivers. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
27 Casey-KNP - Casey Family Programs. (2023, August 30). What are kinship navigator programs? Retrieved July 23, 2025.
28 KidsCount-Foster placement - Kids Count Data Center. (n.d.). Children in foster care by placement type in United States. The Annie E. Casey Foundation. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
29 KidsCount-Kinship - Kids Count Data Center. (n.d.). Children in kinship care in United States. The Annie E. Casey Foundation. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
30 UC Davis 2023 - UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education – Human Services. (2023, December 7). Kin-first systems spotlight: The kinship-centric child welfare model puts family first. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
31 EFA Kinship - Evidence for Action. (2024). Family separation in the foster care system: Obstacles to supported permanency for BIPOC kinship caregivers. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
32 AMA-Henry 2022 - Henry, T. A. (2022, September 21). How tribal placements benefit Native foster children’s health. American Medical Association. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
33 BPC-Geen 2024 - Geen, R. & Christian, S. (2024, May 17). Takeaways on policy discussion about kinship caregiving to avoid foster care. Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC). Retrieved July 23, 2025.
34 GCPI-Rivera 2023 - Rivera, M., Cooper, N., Steiger, D., & Tatum, L. (2023). Reducing foster care placement through equity-focused implementation of Family First. Georgetown Law, Center on Poverty and Inequality (GCPI). Retrieved July 23, 2025.
35 JLC-Hopkins 2020 - Hopkins, M. (2020, September 24). Family preservation matters: Why kinship care for Black families, Native American families, and other families of color is critical to preserve culture and restore family bonds. Juvenile Law Center (JLC). Retrieved July 23, 2025.
36 Coleman 2016a - Coleman, K. L. & Wu, Q. (2016). Kinship care and service utilization: A review of predisposing, enabling, and need factors. Children and Youth Services Review, 61, 201-210.
37 AECF-Kinship policy 2024 - The Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF). (2024, September 18). Kinship policy improvements toward child welfare system transformation. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
38 NICWA 2023 - The National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA), Generations United. (2023). Policy issues overview: Kinship services in tribal child welfare. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
39 Gordon 2011a - Gordon, L. (2011). Child welfare: A brief history. Social Welfare History Project. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
40 FamilyFirstAct Kinship - FamilyFirstAct.org. (n.d.). The history of kinship caregiving part 1. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
41 Washington 2024 - Washington, T., Walton, Q. L., Kaye, H., Hong, J. S., & Cook, B. (2024). Exploring self-care practices of African American informal kinship caregivers. Child & Family Social Work, 29(1), 12–23.
42 Smith 2000 - Smith, J. M. (2000). Race, kinship care and African American children. African American Research Perspectives, 6(3), 54-64.
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