Kinship navigator program development: Listening to family, youth, and advocate voice

The Negative Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on Behavioral Problems of Children in Kinship Care: The Protective Role of Kinship Caregivers’ Mental Health

“…These may further influence children’s emotional regulation, confidence, and social skills, which may result in increased children’s internalizing problems (Osborne & Berger, 2009; Staton-Tindall et al, 2013). In addition, for kinship families with substance abusing biological parents, kinship caregivers need to address these problems with the biological parents (Rodriguez-JenKins et al, 2021), which may cause conflicts in family relationships and affect children’s internalizing problems.…”

“…Previous research has consistently indicated that kinship caregivers’ mental health is strongly associated with children’s behavioral health outcomes (Garcia et al, 2015; Kelley et al, 2011). Despite the impact of kinship caregiver’s better mental health in reducing children’s behavioral problems, kinship caregivers tend to underuse mental health services (Rodriguez-JenKins et al, 2021; Smithgall et al, 2009) due to family, structural, and perceptual barriers (Sakai et al, 2011; Smithgall et al, 2009). For example, Smithgall et al (2009) found that 75% of grandparent kinship caregivers needed mental health services, but no mental health services were available to them.…”

“…Also, mental health service providers should use a family-centered lens by providing services to the entire family (i.e., kinship caregivers, children, and biological parents). Other services including respite care, parenting education addressing kinship children’s trauma and behavioral problems, and dealing with family dynamics or relationships with children’s biological parents might be useful in reducing kinship caregivers’ mental distress (Rodriguez-JenKins et al, 2021; Sutphin, 2015).…”

“…Although caregivers’ mental health is critical for the well-being of children, Rodriguez-JenKins, Furrer, Cahn, and George (2021) suggested that kinship caregivers’ mental health needs were one of the most unmet they experienced. The unmet mental health needs exacerbated associations between kinship caregivers’ worse mental health and increased parenting stress and risky parenting behaviors (Xu et al, 2020a; 2020b).…”

“…Our results also highlight the importance of mental health services for kinship caregivers, and the significant protective role of kinship caregivers' mental health in buffering the negative effects of ACEs on children's behavioral health outcomes. Kinship caregivers' mental health is one of the biggest challenges faced by kinship caregivers (Rodriguez-JenKins et al, 2021). Barriers to mental health services include lack of information, transportation barriers, complex referral processes, stigma, and use of health insurance that is less likely to be accepted (Smithgall et al, 2009).…”