Supporting Kinship Caregivers with the Caring for Our Kin Curriculum

Over 2.4 million children in the U.S. live in kinship or relative care families, meaning they are primarily raised by a relative (kinship caregiver) or a close family friend (fictive caregiver) due to their parents being unable to care for them (Annie Casey Foundation, 2023). While this type of caregiving can bring joy and fulfillment, it also places significant demands on caregivers and can lead to heightened stress and exhaustion (Peterson, 2017). This stress can be especially high for those taking on these responsibilities later in life, like grandparents and great-grandparents (Hansen et al., 2022; Lumpkin, 2008). Research shows that when caregivers receive adequate support and experience lower stress levels, children have better behavioral outcomes (Xu et al., 2020). Providing resources and community support to these caregivers is essential to promoting family health and well-being.

Our Penn State Extension Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP) recognizes the value of peer groups in building social connections and supporting well-being (Strozier, 2012). Education provided through peer group settings can also enhance family dynamics and provide essential tools for caregivers (Dolbin-MacNab, 2006). However, many caregivers lack access to peer support groups in their communities (Brant, 2021). Additionally, facilitators – many of whom are kinship caregivers themselves – struggle to develop engaging and relevant content due to time and resource constraints (Brant, 2021).

To address these gaps, our team collaborated with West Virginia University Extension educators to develop the Caring for Our Kin curriculum. This program helps organizations start and sustain kinship caregiver support groups in their communities. Our curriculum, Caring for Our Kin, equips support group facilitators with 12 structured educational modules to utilize during peer group meetings. The modules were developed from kinship caregivers' feedback, with each focusing on interactive education to encourage engagement and strengthen caregiver connections.

Overview of the Caring for Our Kin Curriculum

The Caring for Our Kin curriculum offers kinship caregivers the opportunity to explore the following topics:

1. The Grand Plan: Caregivers are introduced to the program and one another through icebreakers and goal-setting activities. They will also learn about local resources available to support them.
2. Act Your Age: This module covers child development while exploring the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on children’s behavior and well-being.
3. Your Unique Child: Caregivers will learn about their child’s temperament and personality and develop strategies to help children express and regulate their emotions.
4. Listen to This: Participants will learn effective communication techniques to strengthen family relationships.
5. Dial Down the Drama: This session addresses the possible causes of challenging behavior and introduces positive discipline strategies, particularly for children impacted by ACEs.
6. Digital Media Literacy: Caregivers will build confidence in navigating technology while learning techniques to guide their children toward the safe use of digital tools.
7. It’s a Matter of Law: An overview of legal processes related to kinship care, featuring a guest speaker to address caregivers' specific legal concerns.
8. Back to School: Strategies for engaging with schools to support a child’s education, with insights from the school system available to address individual concerns.
9. Fostering Resilience: A discussion on substance use disorders (SUD) and their effects on families. A guest speaker will provide tools for fostering resilience in children and caregivers.
10. Healing Hearts: Support for managing grief, sadness, and loss, including strategies to support children emotionally.
11. Care for the Caregiver: Wellness and stress management practices to better care for themselves and their families.
12. Just for the Health of It: Tips on managing a healthy balance through proper nutrition, physical activity, and adequate sleep for both caregivers and their children.

These modules provide caregivers with practical tools and strategies to effectively nurture their families.

Recruitment and Expansion of Kinship Caregiver Support Groups

To expand the program’s reach, the team has partnered with 13 organizations nationwide to pilot the Caring for Our Kin curriculum. Our team provides ongoing support, collects participant feedback through surveys and focus groups, and makes continuous improvements to ensure the curriculum remains relevant to kinship caregivers' needs.

Additionally, the team is building a facilitator support network to ensure long-term sustainability by connecting them with resources and funding opportunities.

The Caring for Our Kin curriculum is already making a positive impact by helping kinship and fictive caregivers, as well as the support group facilitators, with the knowledge and resources they need. By expanding our reach and strengthening sustainability efforts, our team aims to make a lasting impact on kinship families nationwide, ultimately improving caregiver well-being and fostering better outcomes for children in their care.

For more information, contact our team listed below:

Jacqueline Amor-Zitzelberger – jla17@psu.edu

Kristina Brant – kbrant@psu.edu

Rozalia Horvath – ruh226@psu.edu

Cynthia Pollich – cep5@psu.edu

Darlene Sansone – dxs74@psu.edu

Maureen Ittig – mpi2@psu.edu

References

Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2023). Children in kinship care. Kids Count Data Center.

Brant, K. (2021). In the epicenter: Surveilling, supporting, and punishing families amid the rural opioid crisis and beyond (Doctoral dissertation, Department of Sociology, Harvard University). Retrieved from DASH, record 37370242.

Dolbin-MacNab, M. L. (2006). Just like raising your own? Grandmothers' perceptions of parenting a second time around. Family Relations, 55(5), 564-575.

Hansen, A. C., Brown, R. P. K., & Schoenberg, N. (2022). Sources of stress and strength: Contextualizing the experience of grandparents rearing grandchildren in Appalachia. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 20(1), 39-59.

Lumpkin, J. R. (2008). Grandparents in a parental or near-parental role: Sources of stress and coping mechanisms. Journal of Family Issues, 29(3), 357-372.

Peterson, T. L. (2017). Changes in health perceptions among older grandparents raising adolescent grandchildren. Social Work in Public Health, 32(6), 394-406.

Strozier, A. L. (2012). The effectiveness of support groups in increasing social support for kinship caregivers. Children and Youth Services Review, 34(5), 876-881.

Xu, Y., Wu, Q., Levkoff, S. E., & Jedwab, M. (2020). Material hardship and parenting stress among grandparent kinship providers during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of grandparents' mental health. Child Abuse & Neglect, 110(2), 104700.