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.

This report pertains to The Alternative Kinship Care project, which was funded by the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under a contract to the Urban Institute.

In 2002, 2.3 million children across the country resided with a relative -- 1.8 million of whom were not involved with the child welfare system. Using data from the National Survey of American's Families, this brief concludes that the standard of living for children in kinship placement has improved since 1997.

The AARP, Child Welfare League of America, Children's Defense Fund, and Generations United have created fact sheets containing current State information related to grandparents and kinship care. Information includes State census data on the number of grandparent caregivers, a list of kinship care family resources and services, State foster care policies for kinship caregivers, information about key public benefits programs, and State kinship care laws. Please click on the State to download the appropriate fact sheet.