Grandparents caring for children

Child protection can often think about kinship care as an alternative to placing children in foster care. Kinship placements are seen as having many benefits such as ongoing connection with family, commitment from family to make it work, sustaining contact between parents and children, but reunification with biological parents may be less likely (Farmer & Moyers, 2008, p. 16).  Kinship care may be grandparents, aunts, uncles or more distant family members. However, there is a cost to such placements.

Research published this week by Doley, Bell, Watt & Simpson looked at the impact on grandparents who assume care of their grandchildren. Children who come into their care with behavioural problems (emotional, hyperactivity for example) present the kinds of challenges that diminish satisfaction. 

This work reminds us that we must ensure kinship carers are supported in the role. This can mean respite, specific interventions for the children, supported visits between children and their parents (thus taking the grandparents out of that role) as well as monetary supports. A summary of the research noted

A negative relationship was also found between the availability of social support for grandparents and reported feelings of stress, anxiousness and depression. The authors of the research comment that such a relationship 'is especially profound in light of evidence that custodial grandparents commonly report social isolation and peer alienation associated with acting as a parent to their grandchild'.

Not all grandparents are up to the role. Many will take it one because they don't want to see their grandchildren go into foster homes so they will try to step up to the demands. Yet, they may not really be able to do so. There can be a number of challenges including money, health and the emotional position they may have to their own stage of life. We may be robbing them of their retirement. There will also be grandparents who are keen for the role and well up to it with many who will struggle but are deeply committed to the role. Each case should be assessed.

We need to careful to not make the assumption that grandparents should do it. It may not be the best option for children. It may not be the best option for grandparents. But it may be. Case management should consider both sides of the equation - grandparent and grandchild.

There is a further dimension that needs to be considered which is the nature of the relationship between the grandparents and the parents. If it is not good, the children may be caught in the middle of an already tense family dynamic. That can impact case management.

In essence, this form of placement should receive the same careful consideration as might other options.

References:

Doyle, R, Bell,R.  Watt,B &  Simpson, H. ( 2015) Grandparents raising grandchildren: investigating factors associated with distress among custodial grandparent. Journal of Family Studies, 2015; 1 DOI:10.1080/13229400.2015.1015215

Farmer, E. & Moyers, S. (2008). Kinship care: Fostering effective family and friends placement. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Opposing forces in child protection

There are some challenging opposing forces that case managers in child protection must constantly juggle.

Aging out

The question of children who grow up in the foster or group care system has been a haunting one. The answers are too often discouraging. Long term research continues to tell us that these youth are more likely to end up homeless, poor, mentally ill, involved in the criminal justice system and be parents of children far too early. There are of course, exceptions. Many of us who have worked in or around the child protection system know the exceptions.

I have had former foster and group care youth in my classes at university. I have met some who have managed to create careers in the trades. This is partially because of good planning and caring adults who saw these youths into adulthood.

Increasingly we are seeing that young people from all sorts of family situations are taking longer to transition into adulthood. They stay at home longer, they take longer to establish themselves in careers and they will have a harder time affording their own house. Even those who come from relatively advantaged environments face these challenges. Those who have grown up in care face much greater obstacles as their support systems are often weaker.

Making the point is a video which is making the rounds.  Aging out

You Tube has many other such videos.

In an environment where the income gaps between the rich and the rest (the famous 1%), the pressures on the most vulnerable will grow. Those in foster and group care are amongst the most vulnerable. We must challenge the policy makers to recognize this and create programs that do bridge the transition as strongly as possible. Many jurisdictions are trying to tackle the problem with a variety of creative programs. More options are needed. Perhaps one discussion worth having is, that if society as a whole sees more kids staying at home longer into adulthood, why would we not expect that this vulnerable population will not also require such supports which significant extension of foster care would create? It's a tough question in environments where governments are into austerity. But what does it cost us to have these youth unsuccessful and placing demands on our health care and justice systems?

Fortunately, we are seeing fewer children in group or institutional care in Canada as seen in the following charts from the Canadian Incidence Study:

These help us to realize that policy changes can shift what happens, although the data also tells us that the rate of involvement with child protection in Canada is growing. The growth of kinship care may mean that there are more family members who will be there for the child over the long term. 

American data is also quite informative about what happens to kids as they come into care:

Some UK data adds to the debate:

The point, of course, is that we need to have the debate. What we have now is not working that well whether we are talking Canada, the USA or the UK.