Experiences and Service Utilization of American Indian/Alaskan Native Kinship Caregivers in Kinship Navigator Programs Across Washington State

Abstract

Kinship caregiving, especially the phenomenon of grandparents providing sole care for their grandchildren, occurs at a higher rate in American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) communities than in any other demographic group. In 2017, the State of Washington allocated resources to seven tribes to build and implement culturally relevant kinship navigation programs. Survey results ( N = 70) of AI/AN kinship caregivers in the state indicate that caregiver needs, service access, and utilization look different in tribal communities as compared with research conducted in nontribal communities. Specifically, AI/AN caregivers are more likely to report challenges with obtaining housing, transportation, and working with their kinship children’s school than nontribal caregivers. Focus groups with tribal kinship navigators ( N = 9) from five of these seven programs describe the greatest challenges they’ve experienced with program implementation including program eligibility, what kinship caregivers most often ask for assistance with, what system-level disparities that exist between tribal and nontribal kinship navigator programs and provide suggestions for program improvement.