Presents a model which provides residential treatment on a five-day basis for latency-age children. Family therapy, shared parenting, and psychotherapeautic education are combined in this model. (Author/ED)

Contrasts a group of informal kinship care providers in Philadelphia (KIDS'n'KIN Program) with two "formal" kinship care groups in Baltimore and California, examining similarities and differences in child and caregiver demographies and service needs. Presents the program's response to the needs of informal kinship care providers.…

Examines three aspects of legal treatment of blood relationships in the adoption process: (1) ability of relatives to participate in adoption proceedings; (2) how courts evaluate blood relationships in determining best interests of the child; and (3) rights of relatives to continued contact when a child is adopted by nonrelatives. (Author)

Discusses the interdependence of criminal justice policy, welfare reform legislation, and kinship foster care in relation to the care of children with incarcerated parents. Explores the impact of these interdependent service organizations on these children, and discusses the characteristics of relative caregivers, their needs, and the support…

Describes efforts in Illinois to improve permanency outcomes for children in formal kinship care: the state developed Delegated Relative Authority (DRA) status for children in stable family foster care with relatives while maintaining state support in situations where adoption was unlikely. Presents findings from 1,116 feasibility assessments. (SD)

Describes a longitudinal study of permanency planning for children in kinship foster care in Erie County, New York, focusing on care duration, discharge destinations, and discharge goals. Notes that many children were adopted by or living with kin with the goal of adoption. Describes the "Kinship Options" program which strives for…

Describes the scope and circumstances of grandparents rearing grandchildren as gathered by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Grandparent Information Center. Addresses the problems facing grandparent-headed families, avenues of assistance, and public policy considerations. Also addresses major needs including support groups, legal…

Describes Project GUIDE (Grandparents United: Intergenerational Developmental Education), a five-year program for grandparents who rear their grandchildren and the children affected. Notes that the program is designed to reduce stress and enhance self-esteem of intergenerational families and is centered around eight goals. Traced the program…

Introduces this special issue focusing exclusively on care for children by family relations separate from their parents (kinship care). Addresses kinship care issues of policy, practice, caregiver support and advocacy, and research. Contains general definitions, program history and development, and descriptions of the care issues explored in the…

Presents a framework for assessing kinship homes that differs from traditional family foster home evaluation due to the differences between kinship homes and those of other prospective foster parents. Argues that distinctive criteria for approving placement of children in kinship homes are needed in the areas of home evaluation before placement…

Describes a time-limited model for service delivery in kinship programs that provides a system of services to the child, biological parent, and relative caregiver as a union. The model utilizes a family preservation approach and focuses on permanency for the child within a cultural context. (Author/SD)

Proposed a conceptual framework for analyzing kinship care policy that uses five new permanency outcomes. Concluded that, in formulating their own policies, states must separate a caregiver's need for support (money and services) from a child's need for supervision (casework oversight). Concludes that states must proceed cautiously in altering…