US: “Family Ties” Urges Action to Support Kin Caring for Youth Involved with the Child Welfare System (Press release)
Annie E. Casey Foundation – March 15, 2025
When children are not able to live with their parents, they do best with relatives or close family friends. Known as kinship care, these arrangements provide stability and connections that are vital to the development of children and youth, particularly for those who are involved with the child welfare system. Yet state policies governing kinship care vary wildly and leave many kinship caregivers ineligible for financial assistance and support services they need, finds a comprehensive nationwide survey of child welfare administrators described in a report released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. “Family Ties: Analysis From a State-By-State Survey of Kinship Care Policies” identifies efforts by states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to promote kinship care and support kinship caregivers. It highlights progress made at reducing barriers to foster care licensing, long-standing inequities in financial assistance for kinship caregivers and new opportunities to address their needs.
Also: Family Ties: Analysis From a State-By-State Survey of Kinship Care Policies: https://www.aecf.org/resources/family-ties