Suggested Readings and Resources: Community Needs and Resource Assessments
Conducting Community Needs Assessments
Chapter 3. Assessing Community Needs and Resources from The Community Toolbox by the Center for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas.
Journey of Change: Conducting a Community Assessment from the Capacity Building Center for Tribes and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau.
Sticky Figures: Using a Needs Assessment from ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center.
Survey Design
Questionnaire Design Tip Sheet from Harvard University Program on Survey Research.
Writing Good Survey Questions: 10 Best Practices from the Nielsen Norman Group.
Secondary Data Finding Tools
Census Reporter: Shows local, state and national data on a variety of topics including demographics (children, adults and older adults), economic wellbeing, housing, access to services and family composition. Links to data tables on grandparents responsible for their own grandchildren can be found here (scroll to the bottom of page).
County Explorer from the National Association of Counties: Shows county data on a variety of topics including county revenue, county expenses, housing cost burdens and internet access. Also shows state data on beneficiaries and expenses related to certain federal funds including TANF, SNAP and the Child Care and Development Block Grant.
Kids Count Data Center from the Annie E. Casey Foundation: Shows data about children on a variety of topics including demographics, economic wellbeing, housing, access to services and family composition. Some data can be found at the local level. The number of children in kinship care is reported at the national and state level.
Community Provider/Resource Finding Tools
50 State Afterschool Network. Afterschool, summer school and before-school programs (collectively called, “out-of-school programs”) can provide much needed respite for kin caregivers. This website provides links to state-afterschool networks, whose memberships include individual out-of-school programs. Some state networks list individual out-of-school programs on their website, including those in Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina and Ohio. Even those state networks that do not list individual out-of-school programs may offer guidance on finding individual programs. Some state associations also provide funding.
Community Schools, as described by the National Education Association, provide wrap-around services for both students and their families by partnering with community-based organizations. The model is new enough that it hasn’t been adopted nationwide; though, as recently as 2023, the U.S. Department of Education provided grant funding for the development of these schools. A list of grant recipients can be found here. Some state education agencies also support the development of community schools, including Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia.
Family Resource Center Services and Supports for Kinship/Grandfamilies. This fact sheet, from the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network, describes services available to kinship/grandfamilies from Family Resource Centers. The fact sheet also includes a link to the National Family Support Network’s list of members.
Finding and Paying for Childcare. Childcare can provide needed respite for kin caregivers. This tip sheet, from the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network, provides resources for finding childcare providers nationwide.
GrandFacts. These fact sheets, by Generations United and available through the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network, provide state-specific links and contact information for key programs and organizations supporting kinship/grandfamilies. Fact sheets are available for every state and some tribal nations.
Kinship Navigator Programs Around the United States. Like the Information and Referral or Information and Assistance services offered by the Aging Network, Kinship Navigator Programs help kinship/grandfamilies navigate local resources. This list, from the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network, provides links and contact information to kinship navigator programs nationwide. Please note that not every state has a kinship navigator program, and some kinship navigator programs are only available to kinship/grandfamilies involved with the child welfare system.
Legal Services Corporation. Though the Older Americans Act (OAA) provides for legal aid, the legal issues handled under OAA funding often are not the same issues as those needed by kinship/grandfamilies (e.g. guardianship/adoption of children). Another source of federal funding for legal aid is the Legal Services Corporation. Its grantees (which are listed on its website) can help with many areas of law not covered under OAA. Find more no-cost legal aid providers via the American Bar Association’s Directory of Law School Public Interest and Pro Bono Programs.
Map My Community. Some AAAs and Title VI programs offer respite to kin caregivers by providing supervised activities (e.g., tutoring, summer camps etc.) for the children they are raising. Use this interactive federal tool to find federal programs in your community that focus on youth.
National Diaper Bank Network. Generations United’s 2021 State of Grandfamilies in America Annual Report found that many kinship/grandfamilies need assistance acquiring necessities for the children they are raising like diapers. On the National Diaper Bank Network website, find member diaper banks that offer no-cost diapers to the public. See also the U.S. Administration for Children, Office of Community Programs to learn about grantees of the Diaper Distribution Demonstration and Research Pilot program. A demonstration Medicaid program in Tennessee covers diapers. Others may do as well.
National Respite Locator Service. This tool, from the ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center, provides links and guidance for finding respite providers nationwide. Not all respite resources listed are for kin caregivers.
OJJDP Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Grantee Geo-Map. Adult mentors for children in kinship/grandfamilies can provide much needed respite to kin caregivers. Use this interactive map, from the National Mentoring Resource Center, to find grantees of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Mentoring programs.
Resource Guides for Kin Caregivers and Those Who Work with Them. This resource list, from the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network, includes links to kin caregiver resource guides developed by some states and counties. Social Clubs for Children/Youth. When supervised by adults, social clubs for children and youth can provide much needed respite for kin caregivers. Find social clubs like those offered by the Boys & Girls Club, Camp Fire, Girl Scouts, Scouts BSA and 4-H.