It's More Prevalent Than You Might Think
Overall, 1 in 11 children lives in kinship care at some point before the age of 18. One in 5 black children spends time in kinship care at some point in their childhood.
This KIDS COUNT policy report summarizes the special role that grandparents, other relatives and close family friends play in the lives of children who cannot safely live with their parents. Given that 1 in 11 children lives in kinship care at some point before the age of 18, the report provides recommendations for how for public systems, private agencies, faith based organizations and communities can support kinship families to ensure that their children thrive.
Nationally, relatives or family friends are raising approximately 2.7 million children because their parents can no longer care for them.