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Evaluating Services for Kinship Care Families: A Systematic Review

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  • Lin, Ching-Hsuan

Abstract

Despite their needs, kinship care families receive less support and fewer resources than other foster care families. This study systematically reviews thirteen studies that evaluated services and programs for kinship caregivers and children. Studies evaluating the effectiveness of the Kinship Navigator Program, financial assistance, support services, and training/educational programs were identified and reviewed. The Levels of Evidence-Based Intervention Effectiveness (LEBIE) scale was used to evaluate the research designs. The findings indicate that although positive results are shown for enhanced well-being and permanency outcomes of children and kinship caregivers, the rigor of the research designs are low, making it difficult to draw any firm conclusions about the effectiveness of these programs. Recommendations for child welfare practice and future research include the need to develop services for informal caregivers and particular racial/ethnic groups. In addition, more rigorous research designs and qualitative research should be conducted to support the effectiveness or social validity of the services and to inform evidence-based practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Lin, Ching-Hsuan, 2014. "Evaluating Services for Kinship Care Families: A Systematic Review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 32-41.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:36:y:2014:i:c:p:32-41
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.10.026
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Strozier, Anne & McGrew, LaSandra & Krisman, Kerry & Smith, Aaron, 2005. "Kinship care connection: A school-based intervention for kinship caregivers and the children in their care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(9), pages 1011-1029, September.
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    4. Wells, Susan J. & Merritt, Lani M. & Briggs, Harold E., 2009. "Bias, racism and evidence-based practice: The case for more focused development of the child welfare evidence base," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(11), pages 1160-1171, November.
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    13. Connell, Christian M. & Katz, Karol H. & Saunders, Leon & Tebes, Jacob Kraemer, 2006. "Leaving foster care--the influence of child and case characteristics on foster care exit rates," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(7), pages 780-798, July.
    14. Jackson, Kelly F., 2009. "Building cultural competence: A systematic evaluation of the effectiveness of culturally sensitive interventions with ethnic minority youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(11), pages 1192-1198, November.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Koh, Eun & Daughtery, Laura & Ware, Allysa, 2022. "Informal kinship caregivers’ parenting experience," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    3. Gentles-Gibbs, Natallie & Zema, Jordan, 2020. "It’s not about them without them: Kinship grandparents’ perspectives on family empowerment in public child welfare," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    4. Lin, Ching-Hsuan, 2018. "The relationships between child well-being, caregiving stress, and social engagement among informal and formal kinship care families," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 203-216.
    5. Lee, Eunju & Choi, Mi Jin & Clarkson-Henderix, Michael, 2016. "Examining needs of informal kinship families: Validating the family needs scale," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 97-104.
    6. Wulczyn, Fred, 2020. "Race/ethnicity and running away from foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    7. Marsh, Christine A. & Browne, Jenny & Taylor, Jan & Davis, Deborah, 2017. "Characteristics and outcomes of newborns entered who entered into care (EIC) within 7days of birth in NSW, Australia," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 261-267.
    8. Gleeson, James P. & Hsieh, Chang-ming & Cryer-Coupet, Qiana, 2016. "Social support, family competence, and informal kinship caregiver parenting stress: The mediating and moderating effects of family resources," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 32-42.
    9. Xu, Yanfeng & Bright, Charlotte Lyn & Ahn, Haksoon & Huang, Hui & Shaw, Terry, 2020. "A new kinship typology and factors associated with receiving financial assistance in kinship care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    10. Nuria Fuentes-Peláez & Pere Amorós & Crescencia Pastor & María Cruz Molina & Maribel Mateo, 2014. "Assessment in Kinship Foster Care: A New Tool to Evaluate the Strengths and Weaknesses," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-17, December.
    11. Semanchin Jones, Annette & Kim, JaeRan & Hill, Katharine & Diebold, Josal, 2018. "Voluntary placements in child welfare: A comparative analysis of state statutes," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 387-394.
    12. Rehana A Salam & Jai K Das & Zahra Hoodbhoy & Karim Rizwan Nathani & Zulfiqar A Bhutta, 2018. "PROTOCOL: Effects of lifestyle modification interventions to prevent and manage child and adolescent obesity: a systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 14(1), pages 1-33.
    13. Rabassa, Judit & Fuentes-Peláez, Nuria, 2023. "Effectiveness of group intervention in improving kinship care families’ outcomes: A systematic review of group interventions aimed at kinship caregivers and youth in kinship care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    14. Xu, Yanfeng & Bright, Charlotte Lyn, 2018. "Children's mental health and its predictors in kinship and non-kinship foster care: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 243-262.

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