Relatives Raising Children: Federal Support Helps, but Challenges Persist

What GAO Found

Children who are raised by relatives or close family friends because their parents are unable to care for them live in "kinship families." According to Census Bureau data GAO analyzed, these families are more likely than all families to be in poverty. Children in kinship families are in households typically headed by grandparents, who are more likely than the general population to have a disability and be out of the labor force. Children living with grandparents more often have physical and mental health issues and special education needs.

A relatively small portion of children in kinship families are in foster care-for every one child in foster care, about 18 are not, according to Census Bureau and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) data GAO analyzed. Families with children in foster care have access to financial and other resources that other families are ineligible for, if caregivers meet certain state requirements.

Some challenges, like the cost of living and mental health issues, worsened for some kinship families since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to officials from three counties and three Tribes in three states and most of the 16 kinship caregivers who GAO interviewed. Other challenges, like the need for childcare and affordable housing, persisted.

Figure: Examples of Challenges for Kinship Caregivers that Have Persisted

Resources for kinship families varied across the six communities in GAO's review. Officials from all communities discussed resources and supports specific to families with children in foster care. They also discussed resources that all kinship families could be referred to or find on their own.

HHS leads efforts that aim to raise awareness about kinship families, increase collaboration among service providers, and provide information and guidance about supporting these families. HHS also administers funds through various programs that states may use to support kinship families.

Why GAO Did This Study

About 2.4 million children in the United States lived in kinship families in 2023. Parental death, substance abuse, and incarceration are some reasons why children live without a parent. Research has shown that when parents are absent, most children thrive best in kinship families, in which they are cared for by family members who can offer stability and continued connections to family, community, culture, and education.

GAO was asked to review issues related to kinship families. This report describes the characteristics of kinship families, how their challenges may have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, the resources they are accessing, and how the federal government primarily supports them.

To describe the characteristics of kinship families, GAO reviewed relevant literature and analyzed nationally representative data from the Census Bureau and HHS for 2019 through 2023, the most recent years available across data sources analyzed. GAO determined that the data were reliable for the purposes of describing kinship families in 2023. GAO did not use Census Bureau data for 2020 due to data collection differences during the pandemic. To describe challenges for kinship families and the resources they are accessing, GAO conducted site visits to three counties and three Tribes in three states (Mississippi, New Mexico, and Oklahoma), selected for factors including high proportions of kinship caregivers and varying levels of urbanicity. GAO also interviewed 16 kinship caregivers from 10 states and two Tribes. GAO identified caregivers by working with service providers who helped organize the site visits and with a national organization that advocates on issues related to kinship and multigenerational families. To describe how the federal government supports kinship families, GAO interviewed officials from the Bureau of Indian Education, Department of Education, and HHS and reviewed relevant information.

For more information, contact Kathryn Larin at [email protected].