Keep families together
Recommendation
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Administration on Children Youth and Families (ACYF) should disseminate best practices for states regarding interventions and strategies to keep families together when it can be done safely (e.g., using a relative for kinship care).[1][2][3]
Background/summary
An estimated 2.7 million children live with kin caregivers.[3] Individuals who care for a child whose parent(s) cannot, who are related to the child by blood, marriage, or adoption, or who have “an emotionally significant relationship” with the child are considered relative, kin, or fictive kin foster family (“kin caregivers”).[4] Prioritizing placing children entering foster care with kin caregivers instead of non-relative foster families[5], when it can be done safely, is preferred because it is usually best for children to remain with family, which reduces trauma and placement disruptions.[6] The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Administration on Children Youth and Families (ACYF) should provide additional and more proactive guidance on best practices and technical assistance.[1][2][3]
citations
1. Mental Health America. Appendix to Position Statement 33: Substance Use Disorders. Last Accessed August 4, 2023.
2. Presidential Commission. The President’s Commission On Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. Last Updated November 1, 2017.
3. U.S. Government Accountability Office. Child Welfare and Aging Programs: HHS Could Enhance Support for Grandparents and Other Relative Caregivers (GAO-20-434). Last Updated August 10, 2020.
4. Federal Register. Separate Licensing Standards for Relative or Kinship Foster Family Homes – A Proposed Rule by the Children and Families Administration. Last Updated February 14, 2023.
5. Casey Family Programs. How can we prioritize kin in the home study and licensure process, and make placement with relatives the norm? Last Updated August 12, 2020.
6. Miller, Jennifer. “Creating a Kin-First Culture.” Child Law Practice Today 36. Last Updated July 1, 2017.