Bridging Gaps in Grandparenting: Kinship Navigator Programs Mitigate Sociodemographic Disparities in Caregiving Challenges of Informal Kinship Placement– A Latent Class Analysis

Informal kinship caregivers of maltreated children face complex challenges. Using the Andersen Model of Service Utilization and latent class analysis of 689 caregivers, we identified three challenge patterns: Financial Challenge, Child's Behavioral and Emotional Health, and Intergenerational Family Dynamics. Patterns varied by caregivers' age, race, and sex. Kinship Navigator Program (KNP) engagement mitigated age and sex disparities in the Financial Challenge Group, and racial and sex disparities in the Intergenerational Group. However, KNP did not buffer BIPOC caregivers' financial challenges or older caregivers' intergenerational challenges. Findings inform targeted, equity-focused approaches to prevention-related support for informal kinship caregivers.