September 8, 2026
Annotated Bibliography: Peer-Reviewed Research on Kinship Caregivers
Fact Sheet: Children Thrive in Grandfamilies
Join Chapin Hall and Generations United and its Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network for the first in a two-part series exploring kinship care— both within foster care and outside of that system.
During this webinar, we walked through what the research actually shows about placing children with kin rather than with caregivers who do not already share their family, culture, and community connections. That evidence is a major reason there has been a federal preference for placing children with relatives for almost thirty years, why states have built on that preference in their own laws, and why the movement toward kin-first child welfare agencies continues to gain momentum. But the research varies in quality — some of it is well-established, some of it is still debated, and some areas remain genuinely limited. We walked through all three, honestly, so you leave with an accurate picture of what we know and do not yet know.
This webinar will set the stage for an October 27, 2026, webinar exploring policy and programmatic innovations in support of all forms of kinship care.
Join us for a conversation with Geene Delaplane and Chelsea Griffin of Washington's Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), who have been leading the state's efforts to strengthen support for kin caregivers involved in the child welfare system.