Children Cared for by Relatives: What Services Do They Need?

In 1999 2.3 million children lived with relatives without a parent present, commonly referred to as kinship care. Separation from a parent can be traumatic for a child (Bowlby 1980). Research suggests that living with a relative may minimize this trauma by providing the child with a sense of family support (Dubowitz et al. 1994). At the same time, many children in kinship care face risks to their healthy development, such as poverty, crowded households, and living with less educated or single caregivers; yet kinship families often do not receive the services they need to overcome these challenges, even services for which they are eligible (Ehrle, Geen, and Clark 2001).

This brief looks at some of the specific service needs of children in kinship care. We find that many children in kinship care face personal health challenges and live in families experiencing significant financial hardships. Yet many of these children, despite being eligible, do not receive the services they need. Involvement with child welfare agencies might provide a link to services for the families caring for these children.