Kinship Care and Permanence: Guiding Principles for Policy and Practice

Children have been entering the custody of child welfare agencies at an ever-increasing rate over the past several years. Over 1/2 million children remained in foster care at the end of 2002—about half of whom are over age 9. This article reviews why kinship care is favored, and in part uses lessons learned from the Kinship Adoption Project in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, to discuss barriers and permanence of kinship care, needed shifts in philosophy and policies, and practice strategies to promote permanence in kinship homes. Achieving successful outcomes for children in kinship care requires child welfare policy makers, administrators, and practitioners to make philosophical shifts, policy changes, and practice efforts that support kin caregivers and children.