Resource Library

Illustrates the changes parents face when they decide to provide full-time care for their relative children and the benefits of different types of agency support. In this video, a kinship and adoptive parent discusses strategies she used to successfully provide stability for the children in her growing family and the importance of having agency resources to accomodate her changing family needs.

Highlights the rewards and challenges of providing permanency and stability for relative children with differing needs. In this video, a single grandparent of five discusses her epxerience becoming a kinship careviger, foster parent and then legal guardian for her daughter’s children; support the caseworker provided for her to become a certified foster parent; and the joy of watching her grandchildren thrive.

Spotlights how agency support and resources helped one kinship family identify creative solutions to challenges they faced. In this video, a parent reflects on her family’s experience with the kinship program and how it enabled her to connect and collaborate with her kinship son’s biological family.

Shares insight from Judge William Thorne, who is a member of the Pomo and Coast Miwok Indian tribes and was a tribal court judge in 12 states, a trial judge for the state of Utah, and a judge on the Utah Court of Appeals. Judge Thorne reflects on federal policies that have had an impact on American Indian children, families and culture. Judge Thorne touches on how life on a reservation differs from life in mainstream American, the unique ways that American Indian tribes are addressing community issues, and what today’s American Indian children need to thrive.

Synthesizes past knowledge and provides research from eight states and from national data on the extent of adopted children re-entering foster care, the circumstances involved in both foster care re-entry and adoption dissolutions, and the significant number of children adopted from foster care who require ongoing mental health services.

Provides an overview of research on children’s adjustment to adoption, reasons for adoption instability, and the significant need for post-adoption support. Includes recommendations to enhance post-adoption services.

A compilation of FAQs about kinship adoption

Brings attention to the distinctive needs of children adopted by their relatives, focusing on the increasing prevelance of kinship adoption compared to traditional foster parent adoption.

Disucsses the importance of kinship care being seen as both a prevention resource as well as an intervention for children, with a focus on how outcomes for kinship families can be improved.

Assists child welfare professionals in helping kin caregivers collaborate effectively with the child welfare system.