placements may include additional stipends for food and utilities if a caregiver becomes unemployed. Access to technology for families to connect with schools and doctors, is also an essential support that youth and families in kinship arrangements must receive. xx The Annie E. Casey Foundation suggests forming partnerships with local departments of aging, such as the network of Area Agencies on Aging located across Pennsylvania, to provide resources to support grandparents and elderly kin caregivers. A successful kinship placement for a child will result in reduced burden on the child welfare system, but the placement must have adequate support provided for the placement to succeed.
COVID-19 Impact Case Study A 12-year-old youth was living in an emergency shelter congregate care facility for an extended period while the agency searched for kinship caregivers. A grandmother presented herself as resource but needed to complete the requisite background checks to be approved as a kinship care provider. Due to office closures the background clearances were backlogged, resulting in the grandmother and an additional household member being unable to quickly obtain required clearances. The child remained in a congregate care setting for months until an emergency kinship placement was approved by the court.
Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, grandfamilies faced barriers to housing, health care, food and financial assistance. The current crisis has heightened the fragility of these households xxi . Specifically, families need support of access to health care, financial and housing assistance, technology, and other personal supports. xxii
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Kinship Care in Pennsylvania: Creating an Equitable System for Families – January 2021
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