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Innovative Research on Kinship Care and Its Role in Child...
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Innovative Research on Kinship Care and Its Role in Child Protection and Well-Being

A special issue of Societies (ISSN 2075-4698).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 22447

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Eun Koh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Catholic School of Social Service, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064, USA
Interests: child welfare; kinship care; children and family services & policies; well-being of racial/ethnic minorities & immigrants
Dr. Justin Jay Miller

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Social Work, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
Interests: child welfare; youth involvement in juvenile systems; self-care & wellness
Dr. Qi Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Interests: child maltreatment; complex effects of out-of-home placements on child mental and behavioral health; sequelae of problem behavior among maltreated and system-involved youth; kinship care and kin caregiver's mental health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Kinship care, a term that generally refers to the living arrangement in which relatives or close family friends take the main responsibility of caring for a child due to the parents’ unavailability and inability, has been in existence for a long time in many countries and cultures. With the limited availability of homes for children removed from their original home and the increased need for out-of-home placements, particularly family-like settings, due to the opioid epidemic, more attention is being paid to kinship care, as well as children and caregivers in this living arrangement. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many children have been reported to have lost a parent or a primary caregiver, and it is expected that the number of children in kinship care will grow significantly.

However, the current literature on kinship care is still scarce. The diversity of kinship care arrangements, including whether the public child welfare agency is involved or not, adds more complexity to the literature on kinship care. We have a limited understanding of how children are placed in kinship care, what support and resources are available for children and caregivers in kinship care, the physical and mental well-being of children and caregivers in kinship care, etc. In addition, the impact of culture on kinship care arrangements and related practice and policies is rarely examined. Furthermore, we know little about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and caregivers in kinship care, even though such an impact is likely to be both short-term and long-term.

This Special Issue attempts to address this gap in the current literature. There is particular interest in studies that explore the impact of COVID-19 on kinship arrangements, including the well-being of children and caregivers. The aims of this Special Issue are as follows:

  • To present the current status regarding the use and support of kinship care arrangements in different cultures and countries, including how children are placed in kinship care after their removal from their original home;
  • To examine the experiences of children and caregivers in different types of kinship arrangements;
  • To examine the impact of COVID-19 on the use and support of kinship care arrangements in different cultures and countries;
  • To examine the well-being of children and caregivers in kinship care arrangements, including their physical and mental health, particularly within the unique context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

(*Contributions must be in the form of either a research article, conceptual paper or review article, and must address the topic of the Special Issue.)

Dr. Eun Koh 
Dr. Justin Jay Miller
Dr. Qi Wu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as conceptual papers are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Societies is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • kinship care
  • relative care
  • grandparent raising grandchildren
  • child maltreatment
  • child welfare
  • COVID-19

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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9 pages, 194 KiB  
Article
“Wasn’t in Our Game Plan”: Reflections of Older Grandparents Navigating Child Welfare Systems
by Tina L. Peterson
Societies 2024, 14(6), 79; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14060079 - 30 May 2024
Viewed by 919
Abstract
Kinship caregivers encounter complex issues when interfacing with the child welfare system. Most kinship care families are not connected to child welfare. The experiences and extent of child welfare connection among older grandparents raising adolescent grandchildren are understudied. This study describes in-depth reflections [...] Read more.
Kinship caregivers encounter complex issues when interfacing with the child welfare system. Most kinship care families are not connected to child welfare. The experiences and extent of child welfare connection among older grandparents raising adolescent grandchildren are understudied. This study describes in-depth reflections from older grandparents raising adolescent grandchildren about circumstances leading to kinship care and the extent of child welfare involvement. Nineteen older grandparents raising adolescent grandchildren participated in qualitative phenomenological interviews. Eligibility criteria included identifying as a primary caregiver aged 40 or older for a grandchild 12 years or older who lived with them at least three days during the week. Respondents were primarily married (58%), white/non-Hispanic (53%), and grandmothers (84%) and had some college education or were college graduates (79%). Older grandparent caregivers described three themes: the intensive child welfare path, the influence of indirect child welfare professionals, and guardians with influence. The onset of kinship care, with or without intensive child welfare involvement, stemmed primarily from child abuse and neglect linked primarily to adolescent pregnancies and parental substance use. Child welfare and other helping professionals must recognize and problem-solve with older grandparent caregivers to meet complex stage-of-life needs in and outside of traditional child welfare settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research on Kinship Care and Its Role in Child Protection and Well-Being)
15 pages, 251 KiB  
Article
An Exploratory Typology for Understanding Family-Relationship Issues in Kinship-Care Placements
by Amilie Dorval, Sonia Hélie and Marie-Andrée Poirier
Societies 2024, 14(3), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14030041 - 15 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1661
Abstract
Family relationships are a distinctive feature of kinship-care placements, but very few studies have examined how the dynamics of these relationships affect the placement experience. This article does explore these dynamics and identifies some possible patterns, as experienced and reported by parents of [...] Read more.
Family relationships are a distinctive feature of kinship-care placements, but very few studies have examined how the dynamics of these relationships affect the placement experience. This article does explore these dynamics and identifies some possible patterns, as experienced and reported by parents of children placed in kinship care. The findings presented here come from a qualitative study employing a life-story methodology, in which nine parents were interviewed on two occasions each. All of them had experienced the permanent placement of at least one of their children with a member of their extended family, under the direction of a government child-protection agency. Drawing from significant themes in parental narratives, particularly that of relationships, we analyzed and delineated three distinct profiles. In the first profile, a family solidarity was present between the parents and the kinship caregivers before the placement and was maintained during the placement. In the second, the parents struggled to keep their place in their children’s lives, thus experiencing conflicts both with the kinship caregivers and with the child-protection agency. In the third profile, the dynamics of the current relationship between both biological parents influenced the other family relationships of the parent who was interviewed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research on Kinship Care and Its Role in Child Protection and Well-Being)
13 pages, 549 KiB  
Article
Examining Financial Hardship and Caregiver Subgroups in Kinship Foster Placements: A Machine Learning Approach
by Imani Careese Johnson, Solomon Hadi Achulo, Kanisha Coleman Brevard and David Ansong
Societies 2024, 14(3), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14030038 - 8 Mar 2024
Viewed by 2211
Abstract
Children placed with kinship foster parents can experience less disruption and stronger family ties than children in non-kinship placements. However, financial hardship can restrict kinship caregivers from taking in relatives’ children. This study investigated (1) kinship caregivers’ financial standing compared to a national [...] Read more.
Children placed with kinship foster parents can experience less disruption and stronger family ties than children in non-kinship placements. However, financial hardship can restrict kinship caregivers from taking in relatives’ children. This study investigated (1) kinship caregivers’ financial standing compared to a national subsample of caregivers and (2) whether certain factors moderate the likelihood that a kinship caregiver will be able to provide care for additional non-relative children without additional financial assistance from the Department of Social Services (DSS). This study utilized primary data from 345 relatives across North Carolina and nationally representative secondary data on 6394 individuals’ financial circumstances. One-sample t-tests and chi-square goodness-of-fit tests revealed that caregivers who participated in our study generally fared better financially than caregivers at the national level. Model-based recursive partitioning results showed that if an additional child is placed in the home, the caregiver’s perceived capacity to provide care without extra DSS support decreased by approximately 19%, with a greater decrease (35%) among a subgroup of caregivers with low financial well-being status. The heterogeneity in caregivers’ experiences, capacities, and financial needs buttresses the need for nuanced interventions and programs targeting these caregivers, enabling them to provide more stable care for children placed in their homes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research on Kinship Care and Its Role in Child Protection and Well-Being)
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16 pages, 290 KiB  
Article
Parenting Experiences of Informal Kinship Caregivers: Similarities and Differences between Grandparents and Other Relatives
by Eun Koh, Laura Daughtery, Yongwon Lee and Jude Ozughen
Societies 2024, 14(3), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14030036 - 27 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1881
Abstract
Informal kinship care, an arrangement that is made without the involvement of a child welfare agency or a court, makes up the majority of kinship arrangements in the United States. However, the current literature on informal kinship care is very limited. In response, [...] Read more.
Informal kinship care, an arrangement that is made without the involvement of a child welfare agency or a court, makes up the majority of kinship arrangements in the United States. However, the current literature on informal kinship care is very limited. In response, this study explored informal kinship caregivers’ parenting experiences, comparing those of grandparents and other relatives. Anonymous survey responses from 146 informal kinship caregivers (114 grandparents and 32 other relatives) were analyzed. This study found similarities and differences between grandparents and other relatives. Compared to other relatives, grandparents were significantly older and less likely to be married. Over 60% of the caregivers, both grandparents and other relatives, had an annual household income of USD 50,000 or less but did not receive any governmental benefits. Furthermore, other relatives accessed and utilized community resources at significantly lower rates. This study observed significant challenges of informal kinship families, including financial difficulties and child mental health/behavioral issues. At the same time, it noted their strengths and resilience, with most participants reporting a positive perception of their caregiving experience. Programs and services for informal kinship families should reflect their unique experiences, building upon their strengths and resilience. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research on Kinship Care and Its Role in Child Protection and Well-Being)
16 pages, 625 KiB  
Article
“They Finally See Me, They Trust Me, My Brother’s Coming Home” Recognising the Motivations and Role of Siblings Who Become Kinship Carers
by Lorna Stabler
Societies 2024, 14(2), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14020024 - 14 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1955
Abstract
Despite a widespread focus on grandparents, a large proportion of kinship care in the UK is provided by older siblings. What drives older siblings to become kinship carers, and how this might differ from other kinship carers, is not well represented in academic [...] Read more.
Despite a widespread focus on grandparents, a large proportion of kinship care in the UK is provided by older siblings. What drives older siblings to become kinship carers, and how this might differ from other kinship carers, is not well represented in academic literature. In this study, narrative interviews were carried out with thirteen adults across England, Scotland, and Wales who had experience being the main carer for their younger sibling(s) when their parents could not care for them sufficiently. The narrative method elicited holistic accounts of participants experiences of being a sibling carer, and the analysis generated three groups of narrative accounts highlighting how and why some sibling kinship care arrangements come about—with siblings wanting to bring their younger siblings back into their family; siblings trying to keep their younger siblings in their family; or older siblings stepping in to fill a gap in parenting at home. The paper draws on the narrative accounts of participants to build the groups, presenting an illustrative narrative account to represent each group. Importantly, these accounts demonstrate how becoming a kinship carer as an older sibling may, or may not, be recognised or fit into wider narratives of what becoming a kinship carer looks like. It is hoped that these accounts will prompt practitioners and policymakers to look more closely at the role of siblings when considering who is and who should be involved in deciding how to support children to remain within their family network. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research on Kinship Care and Its Role in Child Protection and Well-Being)
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12 pages, 254 KiB  
Article
In Loco Parentis: Informal Kinship Care in Australia—Social Benefit and Material Poverty
by Meredith Kiraly
Societies 2023, 13(11), 227; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13110227 - 24 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1932
Abstract
Informal kinship care families in Australia are a large, hidden population. This article provides an overview of international research and policy developments regarding informal kinship care and considers their relevance to Australia. The benefit to children is identified along with the severe economic [...] Read more.
Informal kinship care families in Australia are a large, hidden population. This article provides an overview of international research and policy developments regarding informal kinship care and considers their relevance to Australia. The benefit to children is identified along with the severe economic burden of care falling on caregiving families. Australian Federal and State policy settings are described in relation to the recognition and support of informal kinship care families, and an overwhelming need for better financial and social support is identified. Ways forward to improve the circumstances of these families are considered, together with areas for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research on Kinship Care and Its Role in Child Protection and Well-Being)
13 pages, 263 KiB  
Article
Custodial Grandchildren’s School Attendance and Academic Performance during COVID-19: The Role of Technology
by Yanfeng Xu, Theresa M. Harrison, Athena C. Y. Chan, Ashlee A. Lewis, Sue E. Levkoff and Gina M. Kunz
Societies 2023, 13(10), 215; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13100215 - 26 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1882
Abstract
Due to COVID-19, many schools switched to remote instruction, creating an urgency to address the technology needs of many families, including grandparent-headed families. Many grandparent-headed families (i.e., custodial grandparents) have limited access to digital devices and stable internet. Moreover, many of these grandparents [...] Read more.
Due to COVID-19, many schools switched to remote instruction, creating an urgency to address the technology needs of many families, including grandparent-headed families. Many grandparent-headed families (i.e., custodial grandparents) have limited access to digital devices and stable internet. Moreover, many of these grandparents lack the skills and confidence to use technology, which may affect both their grandchildren’s ability to attend school as well as their academic performance. This study investigates both the associations of grandfamilies’ access to technology and custodial grandparents’ comfort level with technology with their grandchildren’s academic attendance and performance during COVID-19. We analyzed cross-sectional survey data collected from grandparents raising grandchildren between March 2021 and February 2022 in the United States. Ordered logistic regression analyses were conducted using STATA. The key results suggested that grandfamilies’ more stable access to technology (OR = 1.54, p = 0.048) and grandparents’ high comfort level with technology (OR = 2.18, p = 0.003) during grandchildren’s remote learning were significantly associated with higher odds of grandchildren’s better school attendance. Similarly, more stable access to technology (OR = 1.53, p = 0.048) and higher comfort level with technology (OR = 1.67, p = 0.030) were significantly associated with higher odds of grandchildren’s better academic performance. The results imply the need to provide stable internet and digital devices to grandfamilies without access to these services or devices, as well as technical assistance and technical-related education workshops to custodial grandparents who are not tech-savvy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research on Kinship Care and Its Role in Child Protection and Well-Being)
18 pages, 890 KiB  
Article
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Developmental Outcomes among Korean Kinship Foster Care Children: Gender Differences
by Hyunah Kang, Ick-Joong Chung and Sehyeon Oh
Societies 2023, 13(9), 202; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13090202 - 30 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1645
Abstract
(1) Background: This study explored changes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of developmental outcomes among kinship foster care children in the Republic of Korea: and gender differences in the changes; (2) Methods: The study analyzed the data of 217 kinship [...] Read more.
(1) Background: This study explored changes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of developmental outcomes among kinship foster care children in the Republic of Korea: and gender differences in the changes; (2) Methods: The study analyzed the data of 217 kinship care children who participated in both the first- and second-wave surveys of the Panel Study of Korean Foster Care Children. As the main statistical methods, we utilized repeated-measures ANOVA and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA); (3) Results: Analysis of developmental outcomes measured before and during the pandemic showed no significant changes. However, significant interaction effects existed between time (before and during the pandemic) and gender, indicating that boys and girls recorded different patterns of change before and during the COVID-19 pandemic; (4) Discussion:During the COVID-19 pandemic, girls experienced negative changes in most areas of development, whereas boys experienced positive changes. The policy and practical implications for foster care children in Korea were discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research on Kinship Care and Its Role in Child Protection and Well-Being)
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29 pages, 389 KiB  
Article
When Kinship Caregivers Became Teachers: Role Stress and Strain from Remote Learning during COVID-19
by Amanda Klein-Cox, Angela Tobin and Ramona Denby
Societies 2023, 13(9), 199; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13090199 - 24 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1817
Abstract
For caregivers of school-age children, schooling at home was a significant stressor during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research demonstrates the emotional burden of taking on the role of teacher while trying to balance responsibilities related to work, household, and childcare. Yet little is known [...] Read more.
For caregivers of school-age children, schooling at home was a significant stressor during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research demonstrates the emotional burden of taking on the role of teacher while trying to balance responsibilities related to work, household, and childcare. Yet little is known about the well-being of kinship caregivers during this time, although this population is at heightened risk for role stress and strain and emotional distress. This article shares the results of focus groups conducted as part of a larger qualitative study, the purpose of which was to understand the factors that influenced the well-being of kinship families during the pandemic, from the perspective of kinship caregivers and child welfare professionals. From these conversations, the challenges of remote learning emerged as a prominent theme, particularly for caregivers raising children with special healthcare needs, who comprised the majority of the sample. Given their pre-pandemic role stress and strain due to caregiving responsibilities, most caregivers struggled with managing their child’s learning, working from home, and caring for children with trauma histories, often with limited support and access to needed services. These findings suggest that this population needs support—potentially in the form of wrap-around services and/or social safety net provisions—to reduce their role stress and strain and improve well-being. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research on Kinship Care and Its Role in Child Protection and Well-Being)

Review

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21 pages, 545 KiB  
Review
Strength and Resilience for Kinship Caregivers Raising Children: A Scoping Review
by Qi Wu, Yanfeng Xu, Fei Pei and Naeun Lim
Societies 2023, 13(12), 249; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13120249 - 1 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4849
Abstract
Kinship care is a preferred living arrangement for children when they have to separate from their birth parents due to various reasons. Although kinship care emphasized family and cultural value of connection, kinship families haven been considered as a vulnerable population since they [...] Read more.
Kinship care is a preferred living arrangement for children when they have to separate from their birth parents due to various reasons. Although kinship care emphasized family and cultural value of connection, kinship families haven been considered as a vulnerable population since they often face myriad and longstanding challenges on both caregivers and child levels. Previous studies have described the challenges and needs that kinship families had, but there has been a continued call for shifting the paradigm from a problem-focused approach to a strengths-focused perspective. After searching in seven research databases, this scoping review identified 25 studies that examined resilience factors that were related to kinship caregivers raising their relative’s child/ren. Both qualitative and quantitative studies were included in this review. The findings showed that the resilience factors are involved with the following five aspects: caregiver characteristics, motivation, stress coping, caregiver’s family, and support. Through summarizing and discussing the resilience factors, this review calls for attention to be paid to the strengths of kinship families. This finding encourages future social work practitioners and researchers to build resilience in kinship families so that positive outcomes for kinship families can be promoted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research on Kinship Care and Its Role in Child Protection and Well-Being)
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