General Kinship Publications

Think of Us report that reviews and analyzes existing research about kinship care. This review aims to summarize what we know, identify remaining research gaps, and highlight areas where the social services sector, policymakers, and researchers can focus their efforts to best support children, kinship caregivers, and their families.

Think of Us report that identifies the cultural, experiential, and institutional strengths and challenges of kinship care in select counties in California, Indiana, and New Hampshire through on-the-ground field research with 255 youth, parents, and kin, as well as the 140 agency staff, 93 service providers, and 41 legal professionals that work with them. It also compiles existing kin-first practices through a landscape review and subject-matter expert interviews. 

The Annie E. Casey Foundation has released its third brief in a five-part series  - Family Ties: Analysis from a State-By-State Survey of Kinship Care Policies - based on survey data collected in 2022 for the AECF by Child Trends.  This brief,  New Insights on State Kinship Diversion Policies, examines survey data related to state’s policies for creating, overseeing and tracking diversion arrangements and the resources made available for children and kinship caregivers in diversion arrangements.

Casey Family Programs' 2024 signature report. The report includes insights from communities and systems that have chosen to create cultures where kin are prioritized when children must be removed from their parents, and from families about the difference that choice has made in their lives.

Summary of the final rule on legal representation issued by ACYF on May 9, 2024, and how it could impact legal services for kin caregivers. The rule allows Title IV-E agencies to use federal funds to cover the costs of legal representation, including for kinship caregivers. The rule also expands the types of legal proceedings that are eligible for this funding to include civil legal proceedings that may impact family preservation and placement stability, such as housing or benefit access.