This Child Welfare Information Gateway factsheet is designed to help kin caregivers work effectively with the child welfare system. It also includes resources, such as links to more detailed information or places to find support, to help caregivers learn about and navigate the child welfare system.

ChildTrends brief summarizing the main findings of a study based in North Carolina that reinforced that kinship care settings support the academic well-being of children who do not live with at least one birth or adoptive parent.

This publication developed by ABA Center on Children and the Law, Children’s Defense Fund, and Generations United helps kinship families and the professionals who assist them compare caregiving options. It provides a broad, national overview about the choices and considerations to help caregivers make informed decisions about the pathways to pursue (2022). A webinar of this tool can be viewed here.  

This report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation explores the practice of "kinship diversion" in which children are placed with relatives as an alternative to foster care.  Different perspectives about whether kinship diversion is a good or bad practice are offered.  The report concludes that child welfare agencies should more thoroughly explore their kinship diversion practices to ensure they adequately meet the needs of children, their parents and kinship caregivers (2013).

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.