A Systematic Review of Program Outcomes for the National Family Caregiver Support Program Using a Theoretical Approach

Abstract

The National Family Caregiver Support Program provides grants to states with large populations of citizens ages 70 and older that are formal and informal caregivers to fund support for various services. The Child Welfare Information Gateway (2016) defined kinship caregiving as the full-time care and protection of children by relatives. The purpose of this study is to identify outcomes of state and community level programs initiated by the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) that serves informal grandparent caregivers. Micro and macro frameworks of rational decision making, symbolic interaction, and agency theories were used in this study when determining program outcomes. Outcomes reported in this study were: (1) reduced isolation, (2) increased connection to resources, (3) increased independence/empowerment, (4) reduced stress, (5) lower levels of burden, (6) increased well-being, and (7) intergenerational reciprocity. The NFCSP is a significant first step in assisting this population and is an important federal program that provides much needed funding to Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) in support of grandparent raising grandchildren.