Library: Permanency Planning

Permanency Planning and Kinship Care
Annotated Bibliography

Berrick, J.D., Barth, R.P., & Needell, B. (1994). A comparison of kinship foster homes and foster family homes: implications for kinship foster care as family preservation. "Children and Youth Services Review" 16 (1-2) 33-61.
Provides an overview of kinship care. Identifies some of the complex issues involved: assessing quality of care, age of the caregivers, and delivery of service. Analyses data from a study of 4,234 children in kinship care and foster family homes.

Black Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect. (1992). Position paper on kinship foster care. New York City.
Suggests that using the kinship networks of African American families should be an integral component of family preservation and child welfare policies. Recommends a culturally relevant approach and a non-deficit perspective on African American culture for effective work with African American families.

Child Welfare League of America, Inc. (1994). "Kinship Care: A Natural Bridge." Washington, DC: Child Welfare League of America.
A thorough examination of kinship care and its role in the child welfare field. Examines policy implications, supplies demographic information, addresses controversial issues, includes guidelines for practice, and concludes with suggestions for improving the system.

Chipungu, S.S. (1991). A value-based policy framework. In J.E. Everett, S.S.
Chipungu, & B.R. Leashore (Eds.), "Child Welfare: An Africentric perspective" (pp. 290-305). New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
Studies the historical foundations of the present child welfare system and its effect on African American children. Describes the impact of certain values on African American children and the child welfare system, and offers alternative African values. Suggestions are made for improving current child welfare services for African American children.

Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies. (1991). Kinship foster homes and the potential role of kinship guardianship. New York City: Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies. Analyses the problems faced by kinship families and agencies. Offers recommendations for a model of services for kinship families.

Dubowitz, H., Feigelman, S., & Zuravin, S. (1993). A profile of kinship care.

"Child Welfare" 72 (3) 153-169.
Describes some of the positive and negative aspects of kinship care. Profiles 524 children in kinship care in Maryland. Discusses some of the differences between kinship care and foster family care.

Gleeson, J.P., & Craig, L.C. (1994). Kinship care in child welfare: an analysis of states' policies. "Children and Youth Services Review" 16 (1-2) 7-29.
Examines how public policy has influenced the growth of kinship care, and addresses some of the problems with the program. Contains an analysis of thirty-two states' policies regarding kinship care. The authors propose that the role of the kinship foster parent needs to be clarified.

Gleeson, J.P. (1995). Kinship care and public child welfare: challenges and opportunities for social work education. "Journal of Social Work Education" 31 (2) 182-193.
Summarizes the recent research and clearly identifies the major issues and questions concerning kinship care policy. The author proposes that the kinship care field is an ideal area of involvement for social work schools and educators. Study of kinship care fulfills the mandated curriculum focus on values and ethics, diversity, promotion of social and economic justice, and populations at risk. It also involves inquiries into the major curriculum areas of social work schools: human behavior and the social environment, social welfare policy and services, social work practice, and research.

Iglehart, A.P. (1994). Kinship foster care: placement, service, and outcome issues. "Children and Youth Services Review" 16 (1-2) 107-111.
Provides a brief history on kinship care. Suggests that kinship care is the least traumatic type of foster care placement for children, and that the system of legal guardianship should be improved. Using data collected in 1988 in Los Angeles, the author concludes that kinship care results in more stable placements.

Le Prohn, N.S. (1994). The role of the kinship foster parent: a comparison of the role conceptions of relative and non-relative foster parents. "Children and Youth Services Review " 16 (1-2) 65-84.
Summarizes statistical data illustrating the differences between kinship care and non-relative foster care. Analyzes survey data and establishes that different types of caregivers have different ideas about their roles.

McFadden, E.J., & Downs, S.W. (1995). Family continuity: the new paradigm in permanence planning. "Community Alternatives" 7 (1) 39-60.

Suggests that family continuity has become an important framework for family and children's services. Family continuity focuses on supporting families, protecting children, achieving permanence, and providing for continuance of important relationships across the life span. The article indicates that the difficult social conditions of the 1990's have necessitated this evolution of the permanency planning movement away from the linear, decision-making model. The authors also summarize family continuity practice principles, and the implications of family continuity on permanency planning. Kinship connections are highlighted.

Minkler, M. (1993). "Grandmothers as caregivers: Raising children of the crack cocaine epidemic." Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Focuses on grandmothers as kinship caregivers. Combines case studies with policy analysis to create a thorough examination of this aspect of kinship care.

Report of the Mayor's Commission For the Foster Care of Children (1993). "Family assets: kinship foster care in New York City." Presents an overview of kinship care and the issues involved. Examines the features of the participating populations, and offers recommendations for improving the system. Concludes that alternative permanency planning goals need to be developed.

Scannapieco, M. & Hegar, R. (1994). Kinship care: two case management models.
"Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal" 11 (4) 315-324. Describes the trend toward the increasing use of kinship care for foster children. Examines the traditional kinship model as well as Baltimore's more inclusive Services to Extended Families with Children program.

Scannapieco, M. & Hegar, R. (1995). From family duty to family policy: the evolution of kinship care. "Child Welfare" LXXIV (1) 200-216.
Discusses the growth of kinship care, summarizes statistical data, and investigates the policy issues and implications for permanency planning.

Task Force on Permanency Planning for Foster Children, Inc. (1990). "Kinship foster care: the double edged dilemma." Rochester, NY: Task Force on Permanency Planning for Foster Children, Inc.
Outlines and describes the complex issues involved in kinship care, and how they affect permanency planning. Includes statistical data and suggestions for improving kinship foster care.

Thornton, J.L. (1991). Permanency planning for children in kinship foster homes. "Child Welfare" 70 (5) 593-601.
Describes the growth of the kinship care program in New York City using data collected in 1987. Explores the issue of permanency planning in kinship homes, and especially how it relates to adoption. The study finds that kinship foster parents are not inclined to adopt their foster children.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1994). "The National survey of current and former foster parents." Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This survey clearly explains why the number of traditional foster parents has decreased and why kinship foster care continues to increase.

Wulczyn, F.H. & Goerge, R.M. (1992). Foster care in New York and Illinois: the challenge of rapid change. "Social Service Review" 66 (2) 278-294.
Examines the increase of children in out-of-home placements, especially kinship care. Analyses statistical data from New York and Illinois to illustrate relevant trends. The authors suggest that strengthened preventive services and reunification efforts are imperative.

 [prepared by Douglas Simon for the National Resource Center for Permanency Planning]

National Resource Center for Permanency Planning
at Hunter College School of Social Work
129 East 79th Street
New York, New York 10021
Telephone: (212) 452-7053
Fax: (212) 452-7051