June 2021Vol. 22, No. 6Toolkit Supports African-American Grandfamilies
One in five African-American children will live with extended family at some point during their childhoods-a rate more than double that of the general population. A new toolkit, developed by Generations United in 2020 following the spread of COVID-19, provides child welfare and related professionals and organizations with the guidance and resources they need to better support these African-American grandfamilies. The COVID-19 pandemic is the most recent event that has likely precipitated the increase of African-American youth living with relatives, and it has presented challenges to existing kinship families and grandfamilies and the systems that serve them.
The toolkit is organized into nine chapters that provide information and resources on topics such as the following:
- The definition of grandfamilies and kinship families, including their strengths and challenges
- Understanding, creating, and providing culturally appropriate services for African-American grandfamilies
- The importance of preserving or restoring cultural identity
- Federal legislation that supports relative families
- The how-tos of effective advocacy efforts
- Practice, policy, and data collection recommendations for child welfare agencies, professionals, service providers, and advocates
The toolkit includes an infographic, call-out boxes highlighting resources, and a real-life grandfamily profile and story.
Access the toolkit, African American Grandfamilies: Helping Children Thrive Through Connection to Family and Culture, to learn more.
