General Kinship Publications

This article from Child Law Practice Today (ABA Center on Children and the Law) explores the importance of fictive kin and why states should either include fictive kin in the definition of “relative” for purposes of ASFA, GAP, kinship foster care, and child placement, or define “fictive kin” in their statutes and then apply all policies regarding relatives to relatives and fictive kin equally. 

This toolkit was developed to support child and parent attorneys' advocacy for kinship placements for their clients/client’s children through trial and appellate advocacy, as well as outside of the court setting. This toolkit includes federal and state law and policy resources, and a comprehensive overview of social science articles and research studies on the benefits of kinship care.

Child Welfare Information Gateway fact sheet for families about the importance of partnerships between caregivers and parents for promoting family reunification and child and family well-being. It shares stories and advice from caregivers and birth parents who have experienced kinship care on the importance of maintaining boundaries, managing family dynamics, building trust, positive parenting and communication, and securing support.

The ABA Center on Children and the Law is pleased to share Immigration Issues in the Child Welfare System: Case Studies. This resource provides guidance on how to navigate a number of scenarios in which children and their families may benefit from support services but face intersecting immigration and child welfare legal challenges.

This publication contains articles on resources for grandparents raising the children of the opioid epidemic, working with immigrant kinship caregivers and more. CLP is a free online resource with practical articles tied to the ABA Center on Children and the Law's primary areas of work and may be accessed at www.childlawpractice.org. To sign up for CLP Alerts, send an email to clptoday@americanbar.org.