Kinship care is a term used in the United States and Great Britain for the raising of children by grandparents, other extended family members, and unrelated adults with whom they have a close family-like relationship such as godparents and close family friends because biological parents are unable to do so for whatever reason.
"Grandfamily" is a recently coined term in the United States that refers to families engaged in kinship care.
[8] There are many reasons that a parent may be unwilling or unable to care for their child, including death, incarceration, illness, substance abuse and financial instability.
Kinship children may have been victims of abuse and neglect in the biological home, exhibit signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, have special needs or disabilities resulting from in utero substance abuse, be in need of counseling or other support services, or require specialized social and educational services.
Kinship caregivers may be grandparents, great-grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, or family friends of the children in their care.
Some caregivers experience feelings of guilt and social isolation resulting from fear of the perception that one failed in raising one's own child.
Caregivers may be hesitant to pursue legal custody of children in their care if they want to maintain relationships with the child's biological parent, or if they view the arrangement as temporary.
Ohio's HB 130, the Grandparent Affidavit and Power of Attorney Bill,[10] establishes two legal mechanisms to assist caregivers to access educational and medical services for children in their residential care as an alternative to intrusive children services intervention or expensive legal processes.
This type of temporary guardianship is preferred by families who hope for eventual reunification of birth parents and biological children.
Recent legislation, the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008[11] includes several provisions affecting kinship families.
The legislation authorizes federal funding of subsidized guardianship payments, establishes kinship navigator programs to assist caregivers in accessing community assistance and support services for the children in their care, requires notice be given to adult relatives when a child enters care, and allows states more flexibility with licensing standards when placing a child with a relative.
During this time of temporary guardianship, the relatives who were granted this type of kinship can make decisions for the children in the sectors of medical and education.
[16] As such, kinship caregivers are often associated with high level of strain when playing caring and rearing role to children.
These multi-aspect factors potentially influence children in kinship care and expose them to more mental health risks.
The white grandparents often report their grandchildren with behavior problems of argumentative, impulsive and depressed characteristic, school withdraw, less independent, and low self-esteem, while black grandparents report their custodial children had lied or cheated, were disobedient at school, destroyed things, and got into fights[17]）.
Children in kinship care are placed within a social class and culture familiar to them and have more contact with relatives who reinforce their self-identities, self-esteem and the sense of belonging with shared family history, routine and rituals.
Besides, they have relatively more contact with their biological parents, from whom they receive compensative social and financial support than non-kinship care children.
Kinship care children enjoy a functional social network from local community other than “cold-blooded” professional assistance by governmental department that associated with severe neglect before placement.
It also lower the risks of receiving peer pressure, isolation, social stigma and enable children maintaining sustainable network in school and leisure settings.
“Government needs to ensure that councils receive the long-term, consistent funding they need to make sure all children and families are able to thrive.”[22] The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) became law in 2000 under the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act and provides funding for supportive services to grandfamilies.
Reauthorized and amended in 2006, NFCSP provides federal funding for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging (AoA) to administer the program.
"According to the 2002 Urban League and the National Survey of American Families, over 50% of children in kinship care live in low-income housing.
While eligibility to receive regular TANF funds is dependent on a family's annual household income and employment status, a "Child-Only" version is available nationally.
Some sort of temporary or permanent custody is required through juvenile court, Children Services, or another foster care agency to apply for the TANF Child-Only grant.
The maximum income allowable to receive this credit is fairly high, so many families who are over-income for other programs may be eligible.