Kinship Navigator Program Resources

Part 4 of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Family Ties series based on a survey of state child welfare administrators. This resource examines state policies and strategies for identifying, notifying, and supporting kinship caregivers, as well as the availability of kinship navigator programs in each state.

Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network brief highlighting the Colorado Department of Human Services' Colorado Kinnected program. Kinnected is a county-administered, state-supervised program. Its mission is to “strengthen the sustainable support community around children, youth, and their families” who are involved with the child welfare system. This mission is accomplished by drawing on the family and child’s existing connections to support the placement of children with kin caregivers. Program goals include efforts to reunify children with their parents and a whole-family approach to prevent the need for children to be involved with child welfare. If kin connections do not already exist, the model is designed to help build a support system. The Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse gave the program a “supported” practice rating in March 2024, following a December 2022 rating of “promising." Due to its inclusion in the Clearinghouse, the State receives federal reimbursement of 50% of related expenses for each county that implements Kinnected. The program is currently in the process of a state-wide expansion to support any counties outside of the pilot that would like to implement the model.

Chapin Hall Policy Brief explaining kinship navigator programs, the evidence-based programs on the Title IV-E Federal Clearinghouse that have ben approved to receive ongoing federal reimbursement, and recommendations to build further evidence in support of kinship navigator programs.

Casey Family Programs summary of a research paper finding that kinship navigation services in Allegheny County, PA led to higher rates of family-centered permanency and increased racial equity in permanency rates.

Casey Family Programs issue brief highlighting state examples to explain how kinship navigator programs are created and funded. Updated in July 2023.