November 2023Vol. 24, No. 9Permanency Options for Children in Kinship Foster Care

Children in kinship foster care are more likely to exit care to a forever home than children in nonrelative foster care. However, navigating this transition can be challenging. Deciding what permanency option is best for your family requires careful consideration and informed decision-making.

A brief from Generations United, Adoption and Guardianship for Children in Kinship Foster Care, helps relative caregivers, birth families, youth, and child welfare professionals learn about and understand the different permanency options. It provides general information about adoption and guardianship and how these options differ. Topics discussed include foster care licensure, basic principles and state laws concerning adoption and guardianship, assistance programs available for each, transitioning from guardian to adoptive parent, and more.  

The laws that govern adoption and guardianship vary and are determined and implemented at the state, local, and tribal levels. To help kinship foster parents and others compare the two options, the brief also includes a national comparison and state-specific charts that focus on the important information about each.

The brief, national comparison chart, and state-specific charts were made possible with support from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and are available on the Generations United website.