Kinship Care Explained
When relatives step in for children in foster care — what the data shows about outcomes, challenges, and state variation.
Kinship care is the single placement type most strongly associated with positive foster care outcomes. Children placed with relatives experience greater stability, better mental health, and stronger permanent connections. Yet kinship use varies enormously by state, and many kinship caregivers lack the financial support available to non-relative foster families.
Why Kinship Placements Matter
When a child is removed from their home, the most consequential decision the child welfare system makes is where to place them. The two primary options are placement with a non-relative foster family or placement with a relative — a grandparent, aunt, uncle, older sibling, or close family friend. This choice has cascading effects on the child's stability, well-being, and long-term outcomes.
Research over the past two decades has built a consistent evidence base: kinship placements outperform non-relative placements on nearly every measure that matters. Children in kinship care experience fewer placement disruptions (moves between homes), maintain stronger connections to siblings and extended family, and show better behavioral outcomes in school.
Despite this evidence, kinship placement rates vary dramatically across states. You can compare state-level placement data on PlainFoster's state pages, where metrics like reunification rates and placement stability often correlate with kinship utilization.
Kinship Care: What the Data Shows
According to the most recent AFCARS data (FY2022), approximately 35% of the 391,000 children in foster care nationally are placed with relatives. But this national figure masks enormous state variation.
What it tells you: States with higher kinship placement rates tend to have better performance on downstream metrics — higher reunification rates, lower aging-out rates, and greater placement stability. This correlation is not perfect, but it is consistent enough to suggest that kinship care contributes to systemic performance.
What it doesn't tell you: Kinship placement rates are influenced by factors beyond state policy — demographics, housing availability for relatives, and the prevalence of substance abuse (which may remove multiple family members simultaneously). A low kinship rate doesn't necessarily indicate poor state policy.
How to use it: Compare your state's kinship use on the placement stability metric page against states with similar demographics but different outcomes. If your state has low kinship use and poor stability scores, kinship expansion may be a policy lever worth advocating for.
The Financial Challenge for Kinship Caregivers
The most significant barrier to kinship placement is financial. Grandparents and other relatives who suddenly take in a child often face economic strain without adequate support. The historical distinction between formal and informal kinship care creates a two-tier system where some relatives receive full foster care payments and others receive little or nothing.
What it tells you: Formal (licensed) kinship caregivers receive the same foster care maintenance payments as non-relative foster parents — averaging $500-900/month depending on the child's age and state. Informal kinship caregivers may only access TANF child-only grants, which are significantly lower.
What it doesn't tell you: Many kinship caregivers are unaware they can become licensed foster parents and qualify for full payments. Kinship navigator programs exist in many states to connect relatives with available resources, but awareness remains low.
How to use it: If you are a kinship caregiver, contact your state's child welfare agency about licensing. The Family First Prevention Services Act expanded kinship support, and many states have kinship navigator programs. Check your state's PlainFoster page for context on your state's foster care system performance.
What This Means for You: A Practical Guide
Whether you are a family member considering taking in a relative's child, a policy advocate, or a researcher studying child welfare outcomes, kinship care data provides critical context.
Step 1 — Understand your state's approach. Review your state's foster care data on PlainFoster. States with higher reunification rates often have stronger kinship programs. Compare your state against its grade peers.
Step 2 — Know the difference between formal and informal. Formal kinship care (agency-supervised, licensed) provides financial support and legal protections. Informal kinship care offers less support but more family autonomy. Your best option depends on the child's situation and your state's policies.
Step 3 — Explore available supports. Many states now offer kinship navigator programs, respite care for relative caregivers, and guardianship assistance programs (GAP) that provide ongoing support after legal guardianship is established.
Step 4 — Connect to research and advocacy. Organizations like the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network and the Annie E. Casey Foundation publish state-level data and policy recommendations. Their research complements the federal data available on PlainFoster.
Formal vs. informal kinship care — side-by-side
One of the most consequential decisions a relative caregiver faces is whether to engage the child welfare system formally (becoming a licensed kinship foster parent) or to take in a child informally with no court or agency involvement. Each path has substantially different financial, legal, and service implications:
| Dimension | Formal (licensed) kinship | Informal kinship |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Court-ordered placement, licensed foster home | Private arrangement, no court order |
| Monthly stipend | Same as non-relative foster rate ($500-$1,200+ per child) | None; may qualify for TANF child-only grant ($150-$400) |
| Medical coverage | Medicaid via foster care | Usually Medicaid via child-only TANF or state-program rules |
| Caseworker support | Yes — assigned worker, regular visits | None unless family seeks services |
| School enrollment authority | Yes (court order grants this) | Often requires power of attorney from parent |
| Path to permanency | Adoption, guardianship (GAP), reunification | Family decision, often informal long-term |
Comparison based on Generations United "State of Grandfamilies" reports (gu.org/grandfamilies) and the federal Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is kinship care in foster care?
Kinship care is when a child in the foster care system is placed with a relative or close family friend rather than with a non-related foster family. Kinship placements can be formal (licensed, supervised by the agency) or informal (arranged by the family without agency involvement). Formal kinship caregivers are eligible for foster care payments and support services.
Do kinship caregivers get paid?
Formal kinship caregivers who are licensed as foster parents receive foster care maintenance payments — the same rates as non-relative foster families. Informal kinship caregivers may be eligible for TANF child-only grants, which are typically lower. The Family First Prevention Services Act expanded support, and some states offer kinship navigator programs with additional financial assistance.
Are outcomes better for children in kinship care?
Research consistently shows kinship placements produce better outcomes. Children in kinship care experience fewer placement disruptions, better behavioral and mental health outcomes, stronger connections to their cultural identity, and higher rates of permanency. They are also less likely to age out of the system without a permanent family.
What percentage of foster children are in kinship care?
Nationally, approximately 35% of children in foster care are placed with relatives as of the most recent AFCARS data (FY2022). This varies dramatically by state — some states place over 50% of children with kin, while others are below 20%.
