What is Giving Compass?
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Giving Compass' Take:
• Generations United explores ways for policies to support grandfamilies when children lose their parents to the opioid epidemic.
• How can philanthropists support the implementation of these policies? What are the implications of the opioid epidemic for the education system?
• Read about the forgotten people of the opioid epidemic.
Key Findings:
- 2.5 million children are being raised in grandfamilies or kinship care with no birth parents in the home (3% of all children).
- 29% (120,334) of children in foster care are being raised by relatives.
- For every child in foster care with relatives, there are 20 children being raised by grandparents or other relatives outside of the foster care system.
- The percentage of children in foster care with relatives has increased from 24% in 2008 to 29% in 2014. At the same time, placements in non-relative family foster homes and group settings have decreased.
- More than 1/3 of all children placed in foster care because of parental alcohol or drug use, are placed with relatives.
- More than 40% of children in foster care with relatives in 2014 were removed from their parents’ care because of parental alcohol or drug use, up from 34% in 2008.
Recommendations:
- Reform federal child welfare financing to encourage a continuum of tailored services and supports for grandfamilies, including kinship navigator programs and other services for children, parents, and caregivers to prevent children from entering or re-entering foster care.
- Ensure children in foster care are placed with families, prioritize placements with relatives when possible and provide the supports they need to care for the children.
- Promote services to children and caregivers in grandfamilies through the network of organizations serving older Americans by urging all states to maximize use of the National Family Caregiver Support Program.
- Ensure grandfamilies can access financial assistance needed to meet children’s needs by improving access to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and providing time-limited financial support for children who are candidates for foster care.
- Provide an array of legal options to grandfamilies by: • Educating relatives on their full range of legal options and improving their access to legal assistance • Identifying and engaging relatives from the time children come to the attention of the child welfare system • Urging adoption of the Model Family Foster Home Licensing Standards so more relatives can be licensed foster parents
- Elevate and promote best practices for serving children, parents, and caregivers in grandfamilies by creating and supporting a National Technical Assistance Center on Grandfamilies.
More than 2.5 million children are raised by grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, other extended family and close family friends who step forward to care for them when parents are unable. Although data is limited, research shows parental substance use is the most common reason these grandfamilies come together to raise children who would otherwise go into foster care. With the rise in heroin and other opioid use, more relatives are raising children because the parents have died, are incarcerated, are using drugs, are in treatment or are otherwise unable to take care of their children.