Kinship care

This document contains the teacher's outline for a unit of study designed to be incorporated into an undergraduate social work survey course on social welfare policy. The aim of this unit is to explore aspects of social policy relating to child welfare by focusing on policy development, legislative framework, and the application of principles to practice. Because this module was daveloped for use at the University of Southern Maine, some material pertains specifically to Maine's child welfare law and may require modification for use in other states. An overview of the course is provided, five learning objectives are listed, and the course outline is presented. Materials in this outline examine child welfare from several perspectives. The history of child welfare services in this country is reviewed, key issues faced by decision-makers regarding the welfare of children are identified, and recent federal and state legislation affecting the delivery of child welfare services is discussed. The unit then focuses on a specific example of social welfare policy-making by examining recent changes in Maine's foster care program. The course outline is followed by six questions for discussion and a list of suggested readings. (NRB)

India is witnessing an aging revolution in unprecedented ways. This review explores the changing trends in the care of the elderly. The current dynamics of family, culture, economics, and social provisions are not entirely favorable for the well-being of old adults. Recommendations for alternatives in all these areas are provided to improve the elder care scenario in the country.

Existing research indicates that children who are involved with the child welfare system and placed in various forms of out-of-home care experience emotional and behavioral problems. It is also suggested that children placed in kinship care are less likely to receive mental health services than children placed in non-kinship foster homes. This study sought to compare children in non-kinship foster homes to children in kinship care to determine their receipt of mental health services and the time it took for children in kinship care to receive mental health services compared to children in non-kinship foster homes. Using a Cox regression, researchers determined that children in kinship care had a 14% lower likelihood of receipt of mental health services compared to their counterparts in non-kinship foster placements.

This study reports on the experiences of Black adults who were raised in kinship care during adolescence and its influences on their psychosocial well-being in adulthood. An exploratory, descriptive, instrumental, multiplecase study approach was followed to facilitate retrospective investigation. Semi-structured, individual interviews were conducted to construct data. The sample comprised of 13 Black adults between the ages of 18 and 42 years. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The themes highlighted the systemic challenges characteristic of the South African context. These include poverty, material deprivation, and its influence on the kinship caregiver's physical and emotional accessibility. The findings suggest that the implications of the systemic challenges reverberate as forms of structural violence. Many of the participants defend against this, with conscious efforts to emphasize on the constructive outcomes of their experiences. Future research should include multiple case and quantitative studies as well as more longitudinal research.

This paper investigates the practice of entrusting children to relatives in Alor Tengah Utara, Alor Regency. It highlights the socioeconomic factors compelling parents to work away from home. Often, this leads to parents leaving their children in the care of their grandparents. Despite the stagnant economic growth in Alor regency, many young individuals migrate in search of better opportunities, creating a dynamic where women, particularly grandmothers, become "double mothers" by caring for both their own and entrusted children. Conducted from June 2021 to July 2022, this ethnographic study reveals the challenges and economic vulnerabilities these households face, exacerbated by the inadequate intergenerational care provided by ageing grandmothers or inexperienced young female relatives. The findings highlight the need for more equitable caregiving arrangements and support for these families, shedding light on a practice deeply rooted in being a cultural responsibility yet fraught with economic and emotional complexities.

The objective of this meta-synthesis was to systematically synthesise qualitative research that explores foster children's perspectives on participation in child welfare processes. Searches were conducted in Medline (OVID), Embase, PsycINFO, and Social Science Citation Index. Children in non-kinship foster care in any setting (high-income, middle-income, low-income countries) who self-reported their experiences of care (removal from home, foster family processes, placement breakdown) were eligible for inclusion. Selected studies took place in 11 high-income countries. A total of 8436 citations were identified and 25 articles were included in this meta-synthesis. Studies summarized the views of 376 children. Children had been in foster care between two weeks and 17 years. Findings synthesize 'facets' of children's participation (e.g., being asked vs making decisions), as well as children's perceived barriers and facilitators to participation. A main priority for children was the quality of their relationships, especially in terms of values (e.g., fairness, honesty, inclusivity). No one way of participating in child welfare processes is better than another, as some children more clearly expressed a desire for passive listening roles and others indicated a desire for active roles in decision-making. However, meaningful adults in foster children's lives have a responsibility to act in a way that strengthens the emphasis on children's needs and voices.

This localized program evaluation provides an example of how to determine the feasibility of utilizing a kinship parent training across different service settings. A total of seven facilitators taught the curriculum in different service settings including structured in-person and online training classes, support groups, and the utilization of training by tribal kinship navigators as part of individual service delivery. The fidelity tracking process provided a venue for each of these service provider types to document the strengths and challenges of implementing each of the components of the Inherent Strengths curriculum across these different service settings with the kinship populations they serve. Suggestions are offered on how to adapt the curriculum to maximize its utility for each of the three types of service settings.

Violence is a complex, persistent and significant public health, Indigenous and human rights issue. New Zealand has amongst the highest reported rates of intimate violence, sexual violence, and violence within families and whānau in the developed world. Literature shows interpersonal violence is a preventable and solvable problem. Integrated and effective systems responses are required to address interpersonal violence in New Zealand. This involves government, multiple sectors and agencies, iwi and diverse communities. The religious sector is, however, less examined in New Zealand and needs to be addressed.

Responding to this gap, this qualitative multiple-case study explores New Zealand Catholic, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches’ institutional perspectives on what helps and what hinders their institution in developing responses to interpersonal violence and considers how these can be
improved. Diverse representation was sought from senior leadership within the churches, theological institutions and social services who were involved in setting strategic direction, policy development, service delivery, professional standards, and training. 

Multiple data sources were used in this study: semi-structured interviews analysed using reflexive thematic analysis; a review of institutional documents, publications and any written material suggested by participants or written by New Zealand religious institutional members; church and affiliated entities’ websites were reviewed, as well as domestic and international literature relating to each religious institution.

This study concludes with a summary, synthesis and contextualisation of the overall findings from the three religious institutions. A bricolage theoretical framework weaves together the six mutually reinforcing components of the Infrastructure-Systems Approach with the six levels of the Social Ecological Model. Issues of intersectionality, power and historical trauma are acknowledged. Overall findings are presented under six headings: “Leadership, including governance and management”,
“Guidelines, policies, procedures, including documentation”, “Training”, “Resources”, “Dedicated roles to support staff”, and “Quality Improvement and Evaluation”. This study concludes with a discussion of the key implications for New Zealand religious institutions, the New Zealand
government and wider violence prevention and intervention field. This includes: the need to extend definitions of violence to include spiritual abuse and the failure of, and urgent need for the New Zealand government to include religious institutions in integrated approaches to address violence.

This elaborate paper explores the lack of mediation and reunification for Black Crown wards and their families. The researchers took sources of literature and information from a variety of databases to get a handle on what the authors are saying about reunification for Black Crown wards. Examples of the search engines and data maps were from ProQuest, EBSCO, Google Scholars, and some other grey materials that were highly related to the subject area since is a green area of research in academia. In all 250 articles were sorted but only 45 had similar to the researchers area of interest in relation to this sensitive research topic. Data collected for this PRP confirms hypotheses around child welfare and some of the inadequacies and challenges that Black Crown ward survivors face. There is lack of family restoration in Black Crown ward cases. Some survivors do not want reunification, while others want it. For those who want or/and need reunification, there is a gap of help that exists in their lives. Lack of therapy and counseling has meant more trauma and unresolved feelings for all involved. The narratives relayed by the participants all point to the inadequacies of the social care system. The child welfare system is insufficient in providing seamless support to Black Crown ward survivors.

The paper begins by suggesting that child welfare systems in North America and selected European and Scandinavian countries have converged functionally over the last two decades from a focus on child protection or family service to a more comprehensive child development orientation. The overview of the US in-care system covers the topics of mandatory reporting of child maltreatment, permanency planning, foster care funding, and decentralized service provision. It also portrays the current US foster care population and describes recent research on efforts to reduce the number of children in care, differential response, practice and policy reform, subsidized guardianship, Casey Family Programs, transitions to adulthood, and racial disparities in placements in out-of-home care. The overview of the Canadian in-care system notes the responsibility of the 10 provinces and three northern territories for child welfare and the concomitant lack of national data on child protection or out-of-home care. Estimates of the number of children in care are presented, and a review of research describes the following topics: rates and types of maltreatment, over-representation of Aboriginal children in care, prevention of the recurrence of neglect and physical abuse, effects of placement into care, differential response, resilience, educational achievement, and transitions from care. The paper concludes by noting certain differences and similarities between the US and Canadian in-care systems.

ABSTRACTSurveys were employed to explore the experiences of children in care and their carers about traditional fostering. They also examined the perspectives of randomly selected adults in the community about the practice of traditional foster care in the Tamale area of northern Ghana. The 74 participants responded to closed‐ and open‐ended interview questions about traditional foster care. Frequencies and thematic grouping of qualitative responses showed that the need to keep family ties alive was the key reason for placement of children with family and kin. Majority of the children expressed satisfaction with living in foster care, even though they had experienced physical and emotional abuse and intimidation. Although most carers were not formally employed and had little personal income, they were positive about having the care role, but faced challenges in providing for many children in a difficult economic situation. The report highlights the role of reciprocity, altruistic an...

This publication discusses the definition, types, and considerations or conditions to fulfil before granting guardianship.  It also discusses the procedures for applying for different forms of guardianship, the effect of a guardianship order and the instances of revocation and termination of a guardianship order. I hope you find it helpful

The article "Guardianship Certificate and Father as a Natural Guardian" by Waseem Ahmed Phulpoto, Senior Civil Judge Karachi West, critically examines the concept of natural guardianship under Muslim Personal Law and its interpretation within the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890. It highlights Section 19(b) of the Act, which restricts the appointment of a guardian when the father, deemed the natural guardian, is alive and fit. However, the article addresses the ambiguities and misconceptions surrounding this provision, particularly regarding the father’s need for a guardianship certificate and the court's power to appoint or declare a guardian.

The Act is underscored as a welfare-oriented law focused on the best interests of the minor rather than the entitlement or status of parties under personal law. The author argues that the father's natural guardianship does not preclude him from seeking a formal declaration from the court, which may enhance his legal standing in matters involving the minor. Similarly, other applicants may be considered if the welfare of the minor so demands, and the court finds the father unfit. The article emphasizes that decisions should be fact-based, prioritizing the minor's welfare over presumptions or rigid legal interpretations.

The discussion concludes with two key points: (a) a father's natural guardianship does not bar him from applying for formal guardianship in court, and (b) for applicants other than the father, the minor’s welfare remains the paramount consideration, assessed on the evidence presented. The article reinforces that welfare, rather than status, must guide guardianship decisions.

T he Kargil War of 1999 forced 25,000 families from their homes in Jammu district alone. Of those, 8,500 migrated to camps in the Akhnoor sector and ongoing fighting has transformed their status from temporary 'migrants' to 'settled' residents. Families have lost breadwinners, houses, fields and crops, and farming cycles have been disrupted. With little hope of return and little to return to, families have persisted in the camps by forming new strategies and kinship networks, securing food, shelter, livelihood, health, education-a future-as best they can.

There are ∼443 000 children in child protective custody (ie, foster care) in the United States. Children in protective custody have more medical, behavioral, and developmental problems that require health care services than the general population. These health problems are compounded by poor information exchange impeding care coordination. Health care providers often do not know which of their patients are in protective custody and are not privy to the critical social history collected by child protective services, including placement history and maltreatment history. Meanwhile, the custodial child protection agency and designated caregivers (ie, foster caregivers and kinship providers) often lack vital elements of the health history of children in their care, which can result in poor health care delivery such as medication lapses, immunization delay, and poor chronic disease management. In this case study, we address this critical component of health care delivery for a vulnerable ...

The disproportionate number of African American children in the child welfare system has grown to a point of grave concern (Hill, 2008; McRoy, 2004; Roberts, 2003). As of September 2007, there were 496,000 children in the foster care and adoption system in the United States (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2008). One hundred thirty thousand (27 percent) were waiting to be adopted (USDHHS, 2008a). African American children, although only 15 percent of the U.S. child population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003), represent 32 percent (162,722) of the children in out-of-home care (USDHHS, 2008b). 25 This chapter is dedicated to Nellie F. Bent and Lillian Carter "Big Momma," who have taught me the importance of using resistance as a tool for the preservation of our families and our children through their selfless example of quiet strength.

Although kinship guardianship is an increasingly important foster care exit pathway for children in the United States, research on the factors leading to kinship guardianship breakdown is lacking. This study examines the factors associated with guardianship breakdown for children who exited foster care to kinship guardianship in California between 2003 and 2010 (N = 18,831). Specifying time-dependent Cox relative risk models, children's age trajectories are directly accounted for in the analysis. This allows differentiation between duration dependence (i.e., time spent in guardianship) and children's development (expressed as age). Overall, 17.3% of children reentered care by 2017. Early adolescents, age 13-15 years (HR = 1.63, p < .001), and late adolescents, age 16-17 years (HR = 1.93, p < .001), had an increased hazard of reentry compared with children under the age of six. Children with a history of mental health concerns had more than twice the hazard of reenterin...

This article presents findings of a state-wide trauma informed child-welfare initiative with the goal of improving well-being, permanency and maltreatment outcomes for traumatized children. The Massachuetts Child Trauma Project (MCTP), funded by the Administration of Children and Families, Children's Bureau was a multi-year project implementing trauma-informed care into child welfare service delivery. The project's implementation design included training and consultation for mental health providers in three evidence-based treatments and training of the child-welfare workforce in trauma-informed case work practice. The learning was integrated between child-welfare and mental health with Trauma Informed Leadership Teams which included leaders from both systems and the greater community. These teams developed incremental steps toward trauma-informed system improvement. This study evaluated whether MCTP was associated with reductions in child abuse and neglect, improvements in p...

Child welfare jurisdictions increasingly place foster children with kinship foster parents as a means of meeting their need for stability, family connection, and behavioral and emotional support. However, the lack of financial and educational assistance provided to kin by child welfare authorities often undermines these caregivers' ability to provide effective and lasting care for the children in their homes. This study uses a mixed-methods approach to understand how formal training and licensure processes can aid kinship foster parents in facilitating positive outcomes for children and youth in the foster care system. Specifically, we investigated the barriers experienced by kinship foster parents while trying to access existing licensure-based training and supports, as well as the initial outcomes of a kin-tailored licensure training curriculum alternatingly administered in in-person and virtual delivery formats. Participants reported that incomplete or inaccurate communication about licensing processes, practical difficulties in attending training, irrelevant session content, and stringent licensing requirements acted as barriers to accessing these resources. However, participants in the kin-specific licensure training administered in this study reported high levels of learning related to key parenting competencies and increased awareness of kinship permanency supports, although these outcomes appeared to be less pronounced among those receiving the training in a virtual format. These findings suggest that researchers and policymakers should consider developing, implementing, and evaluating further initiatives to provide accessible and tailored supports to kinship foster parents as a means of improving outcomes for the children in their care. Keywords Foster care • Kinship care • Kinship foster parents • Foster parent licensure • Foster parent training • Virtual training

Recognising the signs and finding solutions to the risk and needs of neglected children remains a challenge in child protection practice despite a global increase in the number of reported child neglect cases. This situation is compounded by the impact of cultural practices on how neglect is perceived. Drawing on semi-structured in-depth interviews with 31 kinship caregivers, this study sought to explore how the culturally informed traditional kinship care practice in Ghana can be considered an intervention strategy for parental neglect. Proactive intervention, prevention of abandonment and utilisation of family support emerged as ways kinship care practice can help resolve child neglect issues. This study's findings suggest that kinship care options could help prevent severe forms of child neglect and prevent instances of child neglect at their onset. The study highlights the importance of culture and tradition when considering approaches to addressing neglect of children, which could be adapted to other cultures as it provides learning regarding where it is safe to have the extended family involved from the beginning where there is suspected neglect.

The provision of care by extended family members and close friends is a common cultural practice in Ghanaian traditional communities. With a recent interest by stakeholders in Ghana to consider kinship care as an alternative care option in child welfare policy, this study explores current kinship care challenges to help identify and address potential setbacks for policy and practice recommendations. In-depth interviews were conducted with 22 young adults with experience as Children in Kinship Care (CKC). The participants with CKC experience reported inadequate basic needs,

Traditionally, the involvement of the extended family in nurturing children is seen as an essential cultural practice in most communities in Ghana. Though not formally regulated, often in the absence of birth parents, kin and kith continue to be involved in the care of children to promote family relations and culture. Yet there is little empirical evidence on how to improve the well‐being and safety of children in informal kinship care in Ghana. Thus, this study reports findings from in‐depth interviews with 15 young people, 18 to 23 years, from Banda—an ethnic group where informal kinship care is an accepted cultural practice. Data from the interviews were subjected to the constructivist grounded theory analysis. Adequate income for provision of basic needs, education and training, and supervision emerged as useful measures to promote the safety and well‐being of children in kinship care. It was recommended that informal kinship caregivers must be registered with the Department of ...

Evidence from international literature suggests that children in kinship care have more positive experiences than those receiving care in institutions. Kinship care for children is highly used in Ghana as an alternative care option mostly because of the belief that it is important to keep children within their families to continue family relationships, culture and to cement family bonds. However, research in Ghana shows that kinship caregivers may not be prepared to provide care and protection for children in need of parental care. As a result of this, the safety and wellbeing of these children could be at risk. This study reports on a qualitative investigation involving 15 young kinship care alumni in Ghana to explore what kinship caregivers' unpreparedness means and what causes them to be unprepared. Data from the in-depth interviews were analysed following the constructivist grounded theory approach. The study revealed that kinship caregivers' unpreparedness makes it difficult for children's needs to be met. Poverty, unemployment and cultural and religious beliefs emerged as causing caregivers' unpreparedness. Implications of the findings for improving the safety and wellbeing of children in kinship care are discussed.

Traditionally, Ghanaian families facing difficulties address their problems by engaging kin, with the State being the last point of call. However, in recent times, more families facing difficulties are contacting social services to seek redress. So what contribution are kin and other informal social support networks providing to the care and safety of children of such families? This paper presents findings from 15 families receiving services from the Department of Social Welfare in Sekondi, Ghana. Through semistructured in‐depth interviews, the families shared their views on the roles played by their kin and informal social networks in contributing to the care of their children. The study findings suggest that kin still plays a vital role in the support of parenting through imbibing of norms and values; whereas the provision of casual support is provided by nonkin in one's social support network on the basis of reciprocity. Therefore, it was concluded that in developing social w...

Agencies that exist to serve also seek to exist. The purpose of state human service agencies to serve vulnerable populations such as abused and neglected children derives from the common law doctrine of parens patriae, embodying the inherent role of the state as parent of the country.2 The doctrine provides the foundation for the very existence of agencies that serve vulnerable children and underlies the core purpose of the agencies to promote and protect children's welfare and best interests. 3

Agencies that exist to serve also seek to exist. The purpose of state human service agencies to serve vulnerable populations such as abused and neglected children derives from the common law doctrine of parens patriae, embodying the inherent role of the state as parent of the country.2 The doctrine provides the foundation for the very existence of agencies that serve vulnerable children and underlies the core purpose of the agencies to promote and protect children's welfare and best interests. 3

In order to examine the experiences of both formal and informal kinship caregivers, this study presents data from June 2003 to October 2005 from the Kinship Care Warmline, a statewide emotional support, education, and information and referral telephone line in Florida. This study addresses the following three research questions: (1) What are the demographics and basic needs of a large group of kinship caregivers in a Southern state? (2) Do kinship caregiver and children demographics differ by formal versus informal custody arrangements? (3) Do the needs identified by kinship caregivers differ significantly by formal versus informal custody arrangements? The following differences were found between formal and informal kinship caregivers: income, relationship to child, child's age, number of children in care, and length of time in care. Both formal and informal kinship caregivers expressed similar needs. Significant differences were found between informal and formal caregivers for the need for more information about available resources and the need for counseling for their children. Both informal and formal caregivers felt particularly strong about the need for more information about resources. This supports the operation of the Kinship Care Warmline for those caregivers in need.

This study had two purposes: (1) to describe the quality of the kinship caregiving experience for kinship caregivers and (2) to assess whether social support and family resource needs impact the health of kinship caregivers, family involvement in the child welfare system, and permanence for children living in kinship care. In the first part, semi structured interviews were used to examine the caregiving experiences of fifteen grandmothers raising grandchildren in Pinellas County, Florida. Overall, the qualitative results shed some light on what it is like to be a relative caregiver. Most caregiving took place out of obligation, not by choice or by an explicit decision. In light of all the stressors in their lives, the caregivers in the study found much solace in their involvement with a community program. Three case studies were used to provide examples of different experiences with caregiving. The second part of the study used a correlational one-group posttest only design. All car...

In this note, Ms. Gipson Rankin discusses kinship care as an alternative to placing children into foster care. For generations, particularly in the Black community, grandparents and other older relatives have played a crucial role in raising the children of younger relatives when they have become unable or unwilling to raise the children themselves. This system, known as kinship care, has ensured that thousands of American children are cared for and raised by members of their own families. The note explores the history and nature of the kinship care system, and analyzes federal and state policies that impact the system. The author considers why many Black grandparents do not choose to enter into a legal relationship with the children whom they are raising and the legal ramifications of this decision. Ms. Gipson Rankin also provides nonintrusive alternatives that states could implement to encourage more grandparents to enter into a legal relationship with the children who are in their care.

Amidst burgeoning literature on citizen journalism, we still know relatively little about how and why genuinely marginalised groups seek to use this form of reporting to challenge their exclusion. In this article, we aim to address this gap by analysing two UK citizen journalism initiatives emanating from The Big Issue Foundation, a national homeless organisation, and Access Dorset, a regional charity for disabled and elderly people. These case studies are united by the authors' involvement in both instances, primarily through designing and delivering bespoke citizen journalism education and mentoring. Based on over 40 hours of interviews with participants of the workshops and 36 hours of participant observation, we analyse the challenges participants faced in their journey to become citizen journalists. This included: low self-esteem, physical health and mental wellbeing, the need for accessible and adaptable technology, and overcoming fear associated with assuming a public voice. We also analyse marginalised groups' attitudes to professional journalism and education, and its role in shaping journalistic identity and self-empowerment. Whilst demonstrably empowering and esteem building, our participants were acutely aware of societal power relations that were seemingly still beyond their ability to influence. Those who are marginalised are, nevertheless, in the best position to use citizen journalism as a conduit for social change, we arguethough challenges remain even at the grassroots level to foster and sustain participatory practices.

King et al. community. Many grandparents reported that the most beneficial service they received from the Kinship Care program was the psychological support and information exchange provided by support groups. Barriers to support group participation, such as lack of transportation and child care services and lack of options for intergenerational activities were identified as service gaps. This paper presents findings from this evaluation. Included are implications for service programs targeting rural grandparents raising grandchildren and recommendations for improving service delivery to this group of older adults.

Families who provide informal kinship care are a critical part of child welfare, yet our understanding of their needs is limited due to the challenges of identifying the population. The absence of validated and reliable instruments for kinship families is an additional barrier. This study tests the psychometric properties and construct validity of the Family Needs Scale. A sample of 303 informal kinship families recruited through local child welfare and social services completed the scale as part of a demonstration project. An eight-factor structure emerged from psychometric testing. The FNS is strongly associated with other predictors of the needs such as income and parenting stress, suggesting the instrument's potential as a need assessment tool for kinship families. Further replication and robust analyses of the FNS structure will build stronger support for the scale as a needs assessment for kinship families.

Black children join kinship care disproportionately and black kin caregivers often face financial, housing, mental health, and parenting challenges when caring for relative children. Few interventions have been developed specifically for kin caregivers, let alone Black kin caregivers. This study evaluated the initial acceptability of an evidence based parenting intervention and worked to culturally adapt it for Black kin caregivers. The intervention was delivered in a family camp format. Feedback from participant interviews were analyzed for this study. Participants felt that overall the intervention was culturally appropriate. However, they also proposed changes to the curriculum, as well as to the process and format of the intervention. This study experienced challenges in terms of participant recruitment and sample size, which was exacerbated by COVID-19-related safety concerns. Future steps regarding recruitment, content, and format are discussed. Implications for child welfare practice, policy, and research are also provided.

The All4Children project addresses the urgent need to transition from institutionalization to family-based care for out-of-home children in Portugal. Despite evidence highlighting the detrimental effects of institutionalization, only a small percentage of children (less than 4%) are currently placed in family foster care in the country. In response to European directives for deinstitutionalization, Portuguese legislation now prioritizes non-kinship family foster care as the preferred alternative for young children in need of care. To facilitate this transition, the Integrated Model of Family Foster Care (MIAF) was developed, offering a comprehensive framework covering the entire spectrum of family foster care. This research aims to investigate the initial implementation stage of the MIAF to promote high-quality family foster care in Portugal. The study will conduct a mixed-method and longitudinal research project in family foster care agencies across different regions of Portugal, focusing on evaluating the implementation and outcomes of the MIAF model using a multi-informant and multi-method approach. The participants will include caseworkers, children aged 0-9 years entering foster care, and their respective foster families enrolled in the MIAF program. Process evaluation will assess fidelity, feasibility, appropriateness, and acceptability of MIAF modules, while outcome

In Families Redefined: Kinship Groups that Deserve Benefits, the authors examine 1) the nature of kinship families, 2) the benefits accorded to married couples, 3) kinship families that lack protection and benefits, 4) the impact of denying kinship families protection and benefits, 5) the use of contract law in kinship relationships, and 6) using legislation to benefit kinship relationships. This exploration of expanding family law protections to kinship groups addresses a series of interrelated topics. The first two sections of the article explore the characteristics and creation of kinship families in different societies. The third section addresses the legal benefits provided by marriage, while