Policy & Practice | Winter 2023

technology speaks

By Felicia Curcuru and Duke Storen

Enhancing Kinship Care Placements: Challenges, Success Factors, and Technological Solutions

W ith a growing body of evidence highlighting the benefits of kinship care placements for children in foster care, there is a concerted effort among states, counties, and private providers to increase the use of kinship placements and engage kin in other supportive roles. The positive outcomes of kinship care, such as more stable placements, improved mental and emotional well-being, and stronger family relationships, have led to a national increase in kinship placement rates over the past decade. However, achieving success in expanding kinship care presents its own set of challenges. Based on inter views with multiple agencies from various states, this article explores the key obstacles and success factors in increasing kinship care placements. It also examines how technology can assist practitioners in identifying and engaging kin, thereby saving valuable worker time. The Benefits of Kinship Care Placements Extensive research has shown that children and youth placed within kin networks experience numerous advantages over non-kin placements. A review of 120 research studies revealed that kinship care placements lead to more stable environments, better mental and emotional outcomes, and stronger family relationships for the children involved. Another study conducted in 2017 further supported these findings, indicating that children with kinship support during their time in care were statistically less likely to

experience maltreatment and reenter the foster care system after exiting. These children also had higher rates of reunification or permanency with kin than those without such support. Increasing National Kinship Placement Rates Due to practice changes, new leg islation, and increased funding for Family Finding and Engagement Services, the national kinship place ment rate has risen from 28 percent to 35 percent between 2009 and 2019. While this progress is promising, there are still significant disparities in kinship placement rates across states

and even within states. Addressing these disparities presents an oppor tunity to accelerate improvement by identifying barriers, best practices, and technology solutions tailored to overcome obstacles and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of kinship care practices.

Challenges in Family Finding Culture and Practices 1. Garnering Buy-In Across

Departments and Roles: Changing agency culture to prioritize kinship placements requires obtaining buy-in from stakeholders across

Illustration by Shutterstock/Chris Campbell

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