Kinship caregivers play a vital role in supporting children and youth who cannot live with their parents, providing stability, cultural connection, and a sense of belonging. In 2022, Fairness for Children Raised by Relatives (F4CRR) convened kinship caregivers across British Columbia to gather their perspectives on children and family services as part of a provincial consultation process by the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD). This report presents the findings derived from qualitative content analysis of the experiences caregivers shared across in-person, virtual, and written contributions to the community consultation. Five themes emerged from the data analysis. Caregivers emphasized the need for recognition and respect for kinship families, noting that their role and expertise are often overlooked despite their central involvement in children’s lives. They identified significant systemic barriers to accessing clear, timely, and equitable supports, particularly when navigating inconsistent information or regionally variable services. Many caregivers described the cumulative strain of long-term caregiving, especially when supporting children with trauma-related or developmental needs without adequate resources or guidance. Caregivers also stressed the importance of trauma-informed and culturally grounded practices that prioritize children’s emotional safety, stability, and cultural identity. Finally, they highlighted the need to rebuild trust through more transparent, collaborative, and consistent communication with service providers and allied professionals. These findings align with existing research on kinship care, underscoring both the strengths of kinship caregiving and the systemic challenges that limit its sustainability. The calls for action identified by caregivers offer clear direction for strengthening supports, including improving social work capacity and continuity, ensuring consistent access to services regardless of program stream, addressing financial inequities, upholding Indigenous children’s cultural and community connections, clarifying legal processes, supporting caregiver well-being, and expanding early and preventive family supports. Together, the research findings and calls for action highlight the urgent need for system improvements that recognize kinship caregivers as key partners and ensure children’s well-being remains at the center of policy and practice decisions. This report contributes to ongoing efforts to strengthen kinship care in British Columbia and reinforces the importance of grounding reform in the lived experiences of caregivers and their family.
Monsma et al. (Wed,) studied this question.