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Kinship Adoption

Kinship adoption is perhaps one the lesser-known and understood types of adoption, and yet it has been happening for decades, both formally and informally. In the U.S. there is a renewed emphasis on kinship care placements and adoptions as many states work to develop kinship navigators and respond to the Families First Act. We've compiled FAQs about kinship adoption and encourage you to check out additional resources listed under "Where can I learn more?"

Our thanks to Mark Lacava and Christine Tangel from Spence-Chapin Services to Children & Families for their assistance with this article.

References

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (n.d.). Kinship/Relative Adoption. Retrieved from: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/permanency/relatives/adoption/

CWLA. (2019). Traditions of Caring and Collaborating Kinship Family Information, Support, and Assessment Trauma Informed Model of Practice. Retrieved from https://www.cwla.org/kinship-care/

Children’s Bureau. (2021). The AFCARS report. Retrieved from: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/afcarsreport28.pdf