Multilevel Factors Associated with Kinship Caregiver Health and Child Well-Being: An Ecological Analysis

The study examines multi-level factors associated with kinship caregiver health and child well-being to provide a holistic understanding of their experiences and inform more effective kinship care supports.

Kinship caregivers play an important role in providing stability and support for children who are unable to remain with their biological parents. However, both caregivers and children in kinship families often face challenges that can impact their overall health and well-being. Guided by ecological systems theory, this study examined the factors associated with kinship caregiver health and child well-being.

Using a cross-sectional online survey, data were collected from 186 U.S. kinship caregivers in 2024. OLS regression models included caregiver- and child-level demographics and experiences with service systems, classified according to ecological systems theory to capture multilevel relationships.

Results showed that caregiver health was significantly associated with their age, financial assistance, income, caregiving duration, grandparent status, child disability, and selected service-related and child adversity factors. Child well-being was primarily associated with caregiver health, marital status and employment, biological parent status, and children's functioning.

Findings highlight the importance of considering multi-levels, interrelated factors when assessing health and well-being of kinship families. This study strengthens our understanding of how individual and systemic factors shape outcomes and underscores the need for more targeted, holistic support services for kinship families.