KinNET: A demonstration project for a national support network for kinship care providers

The KinNET project came into existence because of the need to support a growing number of grandparents and other relatives providing care for children within the foster care system. It was a demonstration project funded by the Children's Bureau designed to create a national network of support groups for older relatives-mostly grandparents-caring for children in and associated with the foster care system. Grandparents and other relatives are an invaluable resource to the child welfare system. However, these caregivers are also an overburdened population that needs creative and supportive interventions to enhance their capacity to provide quality care and reduce the risks to the children. In this intervention the support group approach was tested (a replication of the Brookdale Foundation model with project management from Generations United). Support groups often provide kinship caregivers with access to important emotional and community support, information and referral, relaxation, and respite. This article briefly describes the project, a profile of the caregivers (n = 102) and the children in their care (n = 226), and highlights from the survey data. In addition, we discuss the three key lessons learned from the project and make recommendations to better serve this population.