According to the Census Bureau, 7.8 million children lived with at least one grandparent in 2009, a 64 percent increase since 1991. The data was collected in 2009 as part of the household relationship module of the Survey of Income and Program Participation. The Survey of Income and Program Participation is a longitudinal panel survey of demographic information, income, labor force characteristics, and program participation in the United States with supplemental topics on child well-being, child care, and household relationships. Census demographers note that the living arrangements of children in the United States is an important indicator of child well-being.

This overview of kinship families is from the Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. Researchers were interested in differences among kinship families in terms of family structure and household composition. Using data from a web-based study in Illinois, researchers conducted latent class analysis to develop a typology of kinship foster families based on indicators of family structure and household composition.

The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation conducted this study to better understand the characteristics and participation of American Indians and Alaska Natives in State and Tribal TANF programs over time. Researchers conducted comparisons between Tribal and non-Tribal caseloads across State TANF programs.

This manual was produced as a collaborative effort of the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC), the National Foster Parent Association (NFPA), and the Collaboration to AdoptUsKids. It was produced with funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau. This is a comprehensive guide, covering everything needed to create and manage a respite program. The first three sections outline step-by-step guidelines for designing and implementing respite services: Exploring the Benefits of Respite, Exploring Respite Options, and Developing Your Respite Program. The final section, Forms, contains a large array of sample documents which may be freely adapted to meet the needs of local programs. The forms available include Respite Billing, Emergency Service Authorization, Parent Checklist, Event Evaluation, Respite Provider Agreement, and others.

This report is from the Child Welfare Information Gateway, funded through the Children’s Bureau at the Administration for Children and Families, and provides information on the placement of children with relatives in the child welfare system. Information on kinship care is crucial to TANF stakeholders in supporting the child-only caseload in their States.

From the National Governor’s Association, Center for Best Practices, this is an archived webcast that provides information from experts and States on kinship care and the importance of kinship care for families. Currently, 2.5 million children reside with grandparents or other relatives, and research has shown that children in kinship care placement are more likely to have positive outcomes than in other types of placements.

The National Resource Center for Foster Care and Permanency Planning authored this toolkit on kinship care as a strategy to promote permanency for children and families in the child welfare system. Kinship care has grown among families in the United States, and researchers have found that placements with relatives tend to last longer than non-relative placements.

This Web site offers information from the Child Welfare League of America on increasing effective kinship programs in States and explores the role of kinship care in family preservation.

Since the establishment of TANF, welfare cases declined by 52 percent nationally. However, child-only cases declined by only 25 percent. Half of the child-only are currently residing with a relative. There is little information on these children and if they are receiving benefits. This publication explores this population and gives information on the well-being of these children and their needs.