What is kinship care?

Kinship care refers to a living arrangement where a child is cared for by a relative rather than a non-relative foster caregiver. This type of care is considered to provide stability and maintain family connections, as it allows children to stay within their familial circles during difficult times, such as when parents are unable to care for them due to various reasons like addiction, incarceration, or mental health issues. It emphasizes the importance of familial ties and is often seen as a preferable option to foster care with non-relatives, as it can lead to better emotional and psychological outcomes for children.

In contrast, other options describe different situations that do not align with the concept of kinship care. Legal arrangements for adoption by non-relatives involve different legal processes and outcomes compared to kinship care. A type of foster care where the child lives in a group home does not involve relatives and typically lacks the familial support that kinship care aims to provide. Lastly, a situation where a child lives independently does not involve any caretaker and is therefore not relevant to kinship care, which specifically denotes care provided by family members.