Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface -- Using the Book -- Overview of the Chapters -- Chapter 1: Theoretical Perspectives on Relationship Building, Belongingness, and Connection -- Chapter 2: Historical Factors Influencing Placement of Children With Kin -- Chapter 3: Kinship Policy Analysis -- Chapter 4: Defining Kinship Care: Caregivers and the Children in Their Care -- Chapter 5: Safety for Children in Kinship Care -- Chapter 6: Increasing the Well-Being of Children in Kinship Care -- Chapter 7: Permanence for Children in Kinship Care: More Than a Legal or Federal Classification -- Chapter 8: Macro-Level Change and Kinship Care Research -- Chapter 9: The Role of Workforce Development in Increasing the Well-Being of Children in Kinship Care -- Reference -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- The Context -- Emerging Trends -- Relevance of the Problem to Social Work Service Delivery -- Micro-Level Practice Translations -- Mezzo-Level Programming Innovations for Particular Groups/Populations -- Macro-Level Policy Directions -- A Tool in Social Work Education/Curricula -- Data Trends: What We Know and Don't Know -- What Is Known -- What Is Unknown -- References -- Share Kinship Care: Incresing Child Well-Being Through Practice, Policy, and Research -- Chapter 1: Theoretical Perspectives on Relationship Building, Belongingness, and Connection -- Introduction -- Parental Care -- Basic Aspects of Parenting -- Physical Well-Being -- Psychological Well-Being -- Religious and Moral Orientation -- Lineage and Ethnic Orientation -- Nonparental Care -- Pathways to Nonparental Care -- Outcomes and Experiences of Children in Nonparental Care -- Relationship Formation -- Permanency Without a Relationship -- Relationship Building for Children Who Reside in Nonparental Care: Kinship Care as a Protective Factor.

Using Kinship Care to Build Relationship and Promote Protective Factors -- Protective Factors -- Caregiver Support Framework -- Enhancing Protective Factors Using Kinship Care -- Study Points: Chapter Summary and Highlights -- Discussion Questions -- Activities for Ongoing Learning -- Glossary -- References -- Chapter 2: Historical Factors Influencing Placement of Children with Kin -- The Changing Nature of Family Life in the United States -- Historical Overview of Kinship Care -- Kinship Care in the African American Family -- The Effect of Social and Political Factors on Child Welfare -- U.S. Child Welfare History in a Glance -- Sociopolitical Factors and Child Removal -- Relationship Building: A Move to Honor and Embrace True and Relevant Definitions of Family -- Study Points: Chapter Summary and Highlights -- Discussion Questions -- Activities for Ongoing Learning -- Glossary -- References -- Chapter 3: Kinship Policy Analysis -- Statutory Preference for Relative Care Placement -- Sociocultural and Economic-Political Context of Kinship Policy -- Sociocultural Context -- Informal Kinship Care -- Voluntary Kinship Care -- Formal Kinship Care -- Economic-political Context -- A Kinship Policy Analysis Framework -- Precipitating Events and Conditions -- Articulation of Change and Stakeholder Organization -- Policy Expectations -- Implementation Effect -- Refinement and Repositioning -- Reshaping Policy in Support of Relationship Building and Kinship Engagement -- Kinship Diversion -- Study Points: Chapter Summary and Highlights -- Discussion Questions -- Activities for Ongoing Learning -- Glossary -- References -- Chapter 4: Defining Kinship Care: Caregivers and the Children in Their Care -- Those Who Provide Care: Contemporary Perspectives -- Different Types of Kinship Caregivers -- Caregiver, Child, and Family Characteristics.

Male Kinship Caregivers -- Siblings as Kinship Caregivers -- Elderly Kinship Caregivers -- Fictive Kinship Caregivers ("Fictive Kin") -- Kinship Care Outside the Child Welfare Context -- Kinship Caregiver Experiences -- Cultural and Ethnic Considerations in Kinship Care -- Children and Youth in Kinship Care -- What Is Known and Unknown About the Children and Youths -- Study Points: Chapter Summary and Highlights -- Discussion Questions -- Activities for Ongoing Learning -- Glossary -- References -- Chapter 5: Safety for Children in Kinship Care -- The Well-Being of Caregivers and Their Families -- Defining Safety -- Factors That Contribute to Child Maltreatment Recurrence -- Systemic and General Factors -- Child, Parent, and Family Factors -- Scrutiny Given to Kinship Caregivers -- Physical and Psychological Safety -- Understanding Transference -- Caregiver-Child Therapy for Psychological Safety -- Strengths Check -- Finding Similarities -- Ten Strategies for Increasing Positive Experiences and the Well-Being of Kinship Caregivers -- Strategy #1: Highlight the Positive Aspects of Caregiving -- Strategy #2: Reduce Stress and Strain -- Strategy #3: Promote Shared Parenting Experiences -- Strategy #4: Recognize Prudent Parenting -- Strategy #5: Provide Long-Term, Legal Guardianship Options -- Strategy #6: Respect, Value, and Appreciate Caregivers -- Strategy #7: Reduce Triangulation -- Strategy #8: Provide In-Home Help and Support -- Strategy #9: Provide Peer-to-Peer Support -- Strategy #10: Conduct Nonpunitive Placement Assessments and Provide Placement Supports -- Study Points: Chapter Summary and Highlights -- Discussion Questions -- Activities for Ongoing Learning -- Glossary -- References -- Chapter 6: Increasing the Well-Being of Children in Kinship Care -- Well-Being Outcomes for Children and Youths in Nonparental Care.

The Importance of Relationships -- Parenting and Caregiving -- Evolutionary Psychology -- Attachment Theory -- Social Learning/Cognition and Social Development Theory -- Bioecological Systems Theory -- Human Behavioral Genetics Theory -- Challenges That Can Interrupt Relationship Building -- Challenge #1: Trauma -- Challenge #2: Child Maltreatment (Abuse and Neglect) -- Challenge #3: Attachment Disruption -- Challenge #4: Child Removal -- Challenge #5: Multiple Placements and Prolonged Placements -- Challenge #6: Loss and Grief -- Challenge #7: Violence, Threats, and Intimidation -- Challenge #8: Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties -- Challenge #9: Parental Substance Abuse -- Challenge #10: Parental Mental Disorders (Particularly Depression) -- Challenge #11: Childhood Illness -- Practice Considerations and Relationship Competency: Increasing Child and Family Well-Being -- Relational Competence -- Five Important Aspects of Kinship Care: Expanding Parent-Child Relationship Theory -- Child-Caregiver Relationship -- Child-Biological Parent Relationship -- Child-Teacher Relationship -- Child-Extended Family Member Relationship -- Child-Social Network Relationship -- Study Points: Chapter Summary and Highlights -- Discussion Questions -- Activities for Ongoing Learning -- Glossary -- References -- Chapter 7: Permanence for Children in Kinship Care: More Than a Legal or Federal Classification -- The Critical Nature of Family -- What Is Permanence? -- Permanency in Kinship Care -- Facilitating Psychological Permanence in Kinship Care -- Socioemotional Issues Blocking Relationship Formation in Kinship Care -- Countering Risky Behaviors for Children in Kinship Care -- Study Points: Chapter Summary and Highlights -- Discussion Questions -- Activities for Ongoing Learning -- Glossary -- References -- Chapter 8: Macro-Level Change and Kinship Care Research.

The Need for System Transformation in Kinship Care -- Theory of Change -- The Role of a System of Care (SOC) in Kinship Care -- Using Research to Shift Conversations and Change Systems -- Research Consideration #1: Determine Effective Kinship Practice Models -- Research Consideration #2: Assess System Readiness for Implementation of Kinship Care Policy and Practice Models -- Research Consideration #3: Translate Research Findings into Kinship Care Policy and Practice Developments -- Study Points: Chapter Summary and Highlights -- Discussion Questions -- Activities for Ongoing Learning -- Glossary -- References -- Chapter 9: The Role of Workforce Development in Increasing the Well-Being of Children in Kinship Care -- Workforce Development and Kinship Care -- Capacity Building: Starting with Education and Training -- Targeted Recruitment and Strategic Retention Planning -- Curriculum Expansion and Improving Educational Program Capacity -- Targeted Student Supervision, Coaching, Mentoring, and the Use of "Client Teachers" -- Active Capacity Building in the Establishment of Kinship Care Practicum Sites -- Need for Workforce Diversity to Improve Engagement of Kinship Families -- Capacity Building Through Implementation of Values and Ethics -- Revisiting the Child Welfare Values and Ethics -- Capacity Building Through the Preparation of Child Welfare Leadership -- What Kinship Care Advocates, Policy Practitioners, and Managers Can Do to Advance the Workforce -- Capacity Building Through the Provision of Service Delivery -- Kinship Care Practitioners: Relationship Building with Children and Caregivers -- Capacity Building Through Attending to Workers' Needs -- Secondary Traumatic Stress -- Stress and Developing Self-Care Plans -- Study Points: Chapter Summary and Highlights -- Discussion Questions -- Activities for Ongoing Learning -- Glossary -- References.

Appendix A: Federal Timeline: Most Salient Legislation Influencing Kinship Care Policy.