Indicators of Quality in Kinship Foster Care

Abstract

Kinship care for at-risk children is an increasingly popular alternative to traditional foster care. Despite the rationale for such placements, questions remain about the quality of kinship care compared to other foster placement alternatives and about how to evaluate its quality. The purpose of this study was twofold: a review of the literature to explore the characteristics of children and caregivers in kinship homes, and an examination of existing tools for measuring kinship care quality. A total of 25 predictive, correlational, qualitative, and meta-analytic research studies were reviewed. Children in kinship care were found to experience unique circumstances that should be considered when developing a comprehensive instrument for measuring quality of kinship care. Development should include collaboration among kinship care stakeholders in order to address the unique real-life circumstances of both caregivers and their kin.