Kinship care is a growing practice in the United States. In the year 2000 almost four million American children were living with relatives other than their parents.
This 118 page report, published in August 2003, presents a comprehensive picture of the difficulties faced by kinship care families and an appreciation of the strengths they bring to their situation.
The report identifies ways in which the financial, physical, and social needs of children and caregivers are being met or left unanswered. It also identifies support systems that are sustaining families, as well as those that still need to be created. This report provides valuable information to kinship families and those working to help them so that services and lives can be enhanced.