Foster Children Placed with Relatives Often Receive Less Government Help

Urban Institute researcher Rob Geen found almost unanimous consensus among the administrators, supervisors, workers, judges, and kin interviewed that kinship foster parents receive fewer services for the children in their care than non-kin foster parents despite often greater needs. Child welfare agencies need to develop strategies to ensure that kinship caregivers have the necessary knowledge and resources to care for children entrusted to them, says Geen.