How does kinship and foster care differ on caregiver-child relationship quality and child and caregiver mental health?

Abstract

Internationally, there is an increasing preference to place children in kinship versus foster care. While research suggests that kinship care might promote better child mental health and placement stability than foster care, less is known about how these placement types compare on other factors of significance to family wellbeing in out-of-home care, including caregiver-child relationship quality and caregiver strain. We aimed to examine potential group differences on these outcomes in a sample of 101 kinship (N = 30), foster (N = 35), and birth (N = 36) caregivers of 7- to 16-year-olds in Australia. Caregivers completed measures on child mental health (behavioral and emotional adjustment, affect regulation), caregiver-child attachment, and caregiver strain, and a Five-Minute Speech Sample interview regarding their relational schemas (e.g., attitudes and feelings) about their child. Results showed that kinship and foster care families fared similarly on levels of child mental health, caregiver relational schemas, caregiver-child attachment, and caregiver strain. However, both groups displayed significantly more challenges in these domains than the birth family comparison sample. Sixty one percent of children in kinship and foster care experienced clinically significant mental health problems, yet many families–particularly kinship care families–had not received adequate professional supports for these challenges. Our findings suggest that families in kinship and foster care experience similar relational and mental health challenges, though they may require services tailored to their unique circumstances.