Posted: December 15, 2017

In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in research and resources for grandparents and other relatives raising grandchildren ("grandfamilies"). See below for information on new resources (including reports, websites, new programs, and multimedia training materials) developed to support grandfamilies.

Generations United, The Brookdale Foundation Group, AARP, ABA Center on Children and the Law, Casey Family Programs, ChildFocus, Child Trends, and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption ​have collaborated to update "GrandFacts: State Fact Sheets for Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children." These 2017 fact sheets for the fifty states and Washington, DC provide state-specific data, local program resources, benefits, and legal information.

The National Center on Grandfamilies by Generations United has published its 2017 annual report, which this year focuses on the critical role of grandparents and other caregivers in providing safety and stability to children who have experienced trauma.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation recently released a five-part video training series features internationally-respected kinship care expert, Dr. Joseph Crumbley. The series strengthens the skills of child welfare professionals in supporting families to improve outcomes for children.

Generations United worked with producers from NBC on the Today Show story on the opioid crisis impacting grandfamilies. The television broadcast includes a companion article and Q&A. Very powerful footage!!

This online journal provides a forum for quality, evidence-based research with sound scholarship, knowledge, skills and best practices from the field for scholars, clinicians, policymakers, educators, program administrators and family advocates. A great way to stay informed on the latest research in this field.

Some great resources recently added to the Zero to Three website include focus group results, a grandparents guide, infographics, webinar and other materials designed for grandparents and for organizations that serve grandparents and young families.

This 38-minute podcast, developed by the Children's Bureau (part of the Office of the Administration for Children & Families), is the first of a two-part series showcasing successful examples of kinship navigator programs connecting kinship families with available services. Listen and learn about the 211-iFoster Kinship Navigator Collaborative project. Included in the podcast are tips and resources to guide agencies and interested communities for raising awareness and access to resources for kinship families.

The Penn State Extension PA Kinship Navigator is an online database of programs, services, and resources available for kinship care families in Pennsylvania. Information is presented county by county.

To ensure that this online database continues to be a valuable service to all residents of Pennsylvania, we recently overhauled the website: 26 new resource entries were added, 42 (outdated) entries were removed, and 73 entries have been updated.

Thanks to all of the individuals and organizations working with this population who have contributed to this database. Your continued help in expanding the resources posted on this website would be much appreciated. Please use this form to submit information on new Pennsylvania programs and resources for relative caregiver families.

Contact Us

Matthew Kaplan, Ph.D.
  • Professor, Intergenerational Programs and Aging

Contact Us

Matthew Kaplan, Ph.D.
  • Professor, Intergenerational Programs and Aging