Resource highlighting progress that has been made towards thethe 2024 Kinship Unity Action Agenda's priority areas since its release. This update highlights major collective accomplishments from the field that have national implications. It is not designed to be a comprehensive overview of the important, ongoing state and community-based work happening across the country every day.

This U.S. Government Accountability Office 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. 

Finalized kin-specific licensing or approval standards, guidance and template forms for kinship foster family homes developed by national organizations with input from kin caregivers, subject matter experts, and at least 45 title IV-E agencies. These Kin-Specific Foster Home Approval Standards respect the unique circumstances of kin caregivers, removing historic barriers and striving to make the approval process more flexible for kin caregivers.  -- For sample template forms please visit this page.   -- Visit this page in Spanish

Resource showing where states, territories, and tribes are in the process of adopting kin-specific licensing standards. The map and chart are current as of 11/13/25, and will be periodically updated.  --  Click on the states on the map who have been approved to see their kin-specific licensing policies, procedures, and resources. --  As this map is updated regularly please REFRESH your page to view the most current version. 

New toolkit created to assist legal professionals understand the value of kinship, the federal laws impacting kin, and the role judges and attorneys play in working with families and kin who open their hearts and homes. In this toolkit you will find resources and practical tips to assist in day-to-day work in addition to a judicial bench card and videos of voices from the field. 

The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) reports on 2024 data for all children in foster care. To view a state-level kinship placement data map, visit this page. For a kinship placement map by race, go to www.grandfamilies.org/Resources/General-Kinship-Publications/Kinship-Diversity-Equity-and-Inclusion. 

This tool provides 5 steps to support title IV-E agencies and collaborative partners in the implementation of the federal rule allowing for kin-specific foster care licensing. It includes an overview of federal foster home licensing requirements, how to analyze jurisdictional needs, tips on collaboration, and a guidance on evaluating progress. 

The ABA Center on Children and the Law and Generations United, in partnership with Casey Family Programs, have created this practical kinship assessment tool with resource links to support the array of child welfare agencies—from those that are embarking on a kin-first journey to those that are continuously striving for quality improvement.

In recent years, record numbers of unaccompanied immigrant children have crossed into the United States. While many of these children are soon reunited with and released to parents who are already in the U.S., upwards of 60 percent are released to sponsors who are kin. This tip sheet provides information and guidance to help you better serve these kinship families.