Abstract
This study focuses upon the growing placement of foster care children in kinship placements. With an emphasis on the family preservation model and the growth of kinship care foster placements by Child Protective Services (CPS), it is necessary to analyze the accessible and beneficial programs available to these families. Policies, agencies and community programs have adapted to the growth of kinship families; however, the effectiveness and accessibility of these programs to kinship families has yet to be analyzed. The research for this project examines past and present policies affecting kinship foster care families in the United States, specifically in California. The project centralizes on Sacramento County. The research contained in this project is based upon a qualitative, descriptive approach. Sacramento County CPS social workers providing direct case management were asked to participate in the research. The majority of participants have approximately one-quarter of their caseload occupied by kinship foster care placements. Based on the experiences of these social workers, it was identified that the main resource needed by kinship foster caregivers is financial support. Many of the barriers identified by these social workers, and explained more thoroughly over the course of this project, were linked to the lack of monetary aid. A surprising outcome of the study is the grave need for social and familial support services to these families. While the researchers’ general hypothesis of a need for additional resources was sustained, the multitude of available resources to these families in the Sacramento County region disproved the academic research stating otherwise.