The Impact of Kinship Care in Permanency Outcomes: A Systematic Literature Review

The purpose of this systematic review of literature is to develop a better understanding of kinship foster care and its impact on foster care children and youth, in comparison with non-kinship foster care. In addition, factors that could influence permanency outcomes—both legal permanence and placement stability, and existing interventions used to support kinship caregiver are examined. An analysis reviewed 23 documents including scholarly articles from the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom, published within the last 10 years. Results of this analysis indicated that kinship care is still a viable permanency option. Overall, studies show that kinship placement tends to have fewer placement disruptions than non-kinship care placement. However, some results revealed no difference between the two permanency types, and there were mixed results when comparing different states. Finally, the analysis revealed that kinship caregivers receiving different interventions or support from child welfare agencies are more likely to have lower levels of stress and are more willing to provide longer permanency options, and children placed with them suffer fewer placement disruptions