Nationwide, about 2.3 million children live with relatives other than their biological parents. The majority (1.8 million) were not placed as the result of child welfare involvement.
Many of these households experience economic hardship and have difficulty accessing the variety of services they often need to care for children who have been abused, neglected, or otherwise traumatized by the loss of their families.
This 20-page paper, produced in 2003, summarizes some of the issues around state TANF decisions that have consequences for households headed by grandparents and other kin. A related document contains TANF Fact Sheets with specific information on 15 states.
* Please note: Since this paper was produced, Casey Family Programs no longer operates in some of the states listed. The fact sheets are in draft form and are intended for guidance purposes only. Not all of the information has been fact-checked.