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Kinship care: the African American response to family preservation
1School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore 21201, USA. mscannap@sswo2.ab.umd.edu
Insights
Formal kinship care is rising in the African American community as a resilient response to increased foster care entries. This reflects the community's strength in preserving families through strong kinship networks.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Family Studies
- Child Welfare
Background:
- The foster care system is experiencing a significant increase in child entries.
- This rise, influenced by various societal factors, has led to a notable increase in formal kinship care within the African American community.
- Formal kinship care involves state or county custody with a relative serving as the caregiver.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the phenomenon of increased formal kinship care in the African American community.
- To understand this trend as a resilient adaptation by the community.
- To highlight the role of kinship networks in family preservation.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of existing literature and social trends.
- Examination of the historical and cultural context of African American family structures.
- Discussion of social work policy implications.
Main Results:
- Formal kinship care is presented as a manifestation of the African American community's inherent resilience.
- The strength and adaptability of African American families are significantly supported by robust kinship networks.
- The community actively works to preserve family structures despite systemic challenges.
Conclusions:
- Increased formal kinship care demonstrates the resilience and strength of the African American community.
- The preservation of the African American family is intrinsically linked to its kinship network.
- There is a critical need for enhanced social work policies and practices to support these families.
Abstract:
The number of children entering the foster care system is increasing at an alarming rate. The increase in children entering foster care, compounded by political, economic, and social factors, has created a phenomenon in the African American community--formal kinship care. Formal kinship care is defined as a system through which the state or county has custody of the child but a relative takes care of the child. This article discusses increased kinship care as a resilient response by the African American community. The strengths and resilience of the African American family can be attributed in part to a strong kinship network. In this manner, the African American community is preserving the family. This community clearly needs support through imaginative social work policies and practice.