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Kinship Care Research Project

Past Kinship Research

In 1999, the Kinship Care Project received a FACT (Families and Communities Together) grant from Michigan State University to conduct a research project entitled "Bridging the Gap: Grandparents Raising Their Grandchildren" (http://www.fact.msu.edu/projectsupdates.html). Through surveys and interviews, this project explored the experiences of 65 custodial grandparents in the mid-Michigan area primarily Ingham, Eaton, Clinton and Jackson. Many of the participants studied were 50-65 years of age.

The results of the project revealed 4 main concerns of relative caregivers for children including grandparents:

1. The need for respite care.
2. Increased financial support.
3. Affordable and accessible legal services.
4. Impact of caregiving on their health.

Information from the previous research project enabled the Kinship Care Project staff to organize and offer several successful events from 1999-2002 that gave kinship caregivers and agency representatives opportunities to meet together and create a new vision for kinship care policies and services in the state. These events included:

• The creation of a Kinship Care Project Advisory Board.
• A series of seven educational roundtable presentations.
• The Kinship Care Speak out event.
• A rally at the Capital for Kinship Care Awareness.
• The creation of a Legislative Task Force.
• The first statewide Kinship Care Conference.

 

Present Kinship Research

In January 2006 the center was again granted funding from FACT to do a second kinship project to assess the current needs of kinship families in comparison to the needs in the first project. This project is statewide and entitled "Advancing Knowledge About Michigan's Most Vulnerable Caregivers: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren". The project is headed by Dr. Anderson, Dr. Whalen, and Ama Agyemang from the School of Social Work at Michigan State University.

Project Overview:

1. Social support-knowledge of and connection with other kinship families; the level of emotional and tangible support received from family members and others.
2. Community resources-utilization of local programs and services.
3. Financial resources-sources and adequacy of household income and insurance.
4. Outcomes for children raised in kinship care.

If you would like more information on this project please contact the center at 1-800-535-1218 or by e-mail at kinship@msu.edu.