May 2015Vol. 16, No. 4The Role of Grandfamilies in Raising Children
Grandfamilies and kinship care are increasingly becoming alternatives to nonrelative out-of-home care. In fact, about 27 percent of children in foster care are placed with relatives, an increase from the 23 percent placed with relatives in 2003. Nearly 8 million children in the United States live with grandfamilies or kinship families—that is, families in which they reside with and are cared for by grandparents, other relatives, or adults who have a close family-like relationship.
Generations United recently released a report, The State of Grandfamilies in America: 2014, that describes these families and the supports that are available to them, such as financial assistance (e.g., Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), kinship navigator programs, and support groups. The report also provides a series of policy recommendations to assist grandfamilies and a list of ways the public can help.
The full report is available at http://www.grandfamilies.org/Portals/0/14-State-of-Grandfamilies-Report-Final.pdf (1 MB).