abstract 1

Littlewood, K., Cooper, L.., & Pandey, A. (in review). 12, 24 and 36 month follow-up on safety and permanency outcomes from Kinship Navigator-Children’s Home Network.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104506

This study examined the 12, 24 and 36 month follow up child safety and placement stability from state administered secondary data for children whose caregivers received the Kinship Navigator-Children’s Home Network, Peer to Peer only, and Usual Child Welfare Services. Study participants were 240 randomly selected kinship caregivers (60 in each group) who were enrolled in the KIN Tech study of one of the kinship navigator federal demonstration project from the 2012 Fostering Connections grantees. Results indicate that children living with caregivers receiving Peer to Peer Kinship Navigator Only and Full Kinship Navigator Program were the least likely to be involved in a substantiation of child abuse or neglect and most likely to remain in the home of a relative at 12, 24 and 36 month follow up. These results suggest that children living with caregivers receiving kinship navigator services had children were more likely to remain in the care of the relative and less likely to re-enter the formal child welfare system. This study can help to inform the replication of the Kinship Navigator-Children’s Home Network model as a well-supported practice. In addition to addressing these issues while in care, these data highlight the risk factors that are present in the post discharge environments for all of these children. Enhanced support for these families is a promising intervention to help maintain treatment gains and should be considered for all levels placement.