Shared parenting experiences in kinship care: The role of family demographics, adverse childhood experiences, birth parent involvement, and attitudes toward shared parenting

Shared parenting in kinship care occurs when caregivers work with a child’s birth parent to jointly provide care for a child. While some shared parenting efforts may cause additional conflict, effective shared parenting may promote positive child development. However, much less is known about shared parenting experiences in kinship care. This study examines the associations of kinship family demographics, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), birth parent involvement, and attitudes toward shared parenting with kinship caregivers’ experiences with shared parenting. We analyzed online survey data collected from kinship families (N = 133) in the United States to achieve research aims. Descriptive, bivariate, and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression were conducted using STATA. At the bivariate level, shared parenting differed by some kinship families’ characteristics (i.e., caregivers’ race/ethnicity, child disability status, ACEs, birth parental involvement, and attitudes toward shared parenting). OLS regression results indicated that the mother’s and father’s involvement with the child and attitudes toward shared parenting were significantly associated with experiences of shared parenting. In contrast, the presence of ACEs related to parental mental health issues was negatively associated with shared parenting experiences. Results suggest that birth parents’ involvement, childhood adversity, and family dynamics are associated with kinship families’ experiences of shared parenting. Implications include recommendations for workforce development and action steps to promote positive shared parenting in kinship care.