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The Family and The Child: A Psychological View

Spring 2022 Psych 441

Grandparenting and Kinship Care in the Context of the Foster Care System

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Grandparenting (Fine and Fincham, 2013)

� Grandparenting refers to the behavioral and interactive aspects of grandparenthood.

� Contact frequency: amount of face-to-face and non face- to-face contact � The intergenerational solidarity model refers to the types of

contact with grandchildren

� What are impacts during the pandemic? How has technology been helpful?

� Activities: Interaction patterns and types of activities as noted in the Tinsley & Parke study (1987).

� Transmission of behaviors and attitudes

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Grandparenting � Communication and accommodation

� Psychological aspects � Identity and meaning linked to roles � Ambivalence in the relationships � Learning process:

� Theory of socialization and sociocultural theory; reciprocal teaching

� Social cognitive � Consensual solidarity in terms of sharing and learning

intergenerational values and opinions, etc.

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Kinship Care (Engstrom, in F. Walsh, 2015)

� Formal (legal or custodial arrangement) and informal (family arrangement) can be with grandparents or other kin.

� Reasons and Challenges � Reasons for care: mental health issues; death, substance

abuse and addiction, incarceration. Note: Though challenging, these reasons may lead to profound commitments from kin (p.197).

� Rewards: � Positive gains when compared to nonkin foster care formal

arrangements. Positives include more regular contact with birth parent (s), placement with siblings, reduced risk of running away, etc.

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Who are kinship care providers? � Grandparent caregiving is a social phenomenon that

cuts across all socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic groups.

� A substantial number of grandparent caregiver families face economic hardship.

� In Massachusetts, a third of grandparent caregiving families and half the grandchildren in grandparent care families have incomes 133% below the federal poverty index.

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Kinship Care � Current evidence reveals that kinship care is the

preferred type of out-of-home placement, and in a number of states, more children are now entering kinship care than traditional foster care.

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Mass DCF Report 2019 � At the end of FY2019, 80.2% of placed children (0-17)

were living in family settings: Departmental Foster Care (DFC) or Comprehensive Foster Care (CFC).

� Recognizing that children experience greater emotional and placement stability when safely placed with relatives, or kin, DCF has prioritized kin placement.

� Accordingly, 56.1% of children (0-17) placed in a DFC foster home were placed with kin. The overall kinship placement rate for children (0-17) in out-of-home placement was 36.3%.

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Concept of Kinship • There is a deep importance to kinship in family life • Kinship has been studied in non-western societies often by

anthropologists

• In anthropology, kinship is an important social organizing principle along with gender and age.

• In large-scale industrial societies impact of kinship on daily and family life is lessened by factors such as: • Geography, mobility, and distance • Occupation • Social class • Ethnicity (nationality) • Education • Political affiliation • Religion

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Legislation � On September 29, 2014, President Obama signed

into federal law, legislation that supported children at risk and youth in foster care, the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act.

� The Act includes several supports specifically for kinship families and children who achieve permanency through the Guardian Assistance Program GAP. � Source: http://www.childtrends.org/funding-and-

federal-support-for-kinship-care-on-the- rise/#sthash.zLKoYTv1.dpuf

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Newer Legislation � Studies show that young people do best in families, and that

healthy relationships are key to their development and long- term stability. Toward that end, the Family First Prevention Services Act, passed in February 2018, introduced pathways to ensure that young people involved with the child welfare system are able to grow up in safe, stable and secure families — including kin placements — that support their long-term well-being.

� The Family First Act allows child welfare systems to use Title IV-E funds on prevention services for “candidates of foster care,” a change expected to allow more young people to stay with their parents or relatives.

� https://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/family-first- prevention-services-act-ffpsa.aspx

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