Kinship Foster Care Placements
Why we track this indicator
Children fostered by a family member or relative has been shown to promote better socio-emotional and developmental outcomes for children compared to non-relative foster care placements. Kinship care has been associated with fewer changes in placements, a greater sense of stability for the child, and fewer behavioral problems.
Kinship Foster Care Placements Data Breakdown
Status: Green
Definition: Quarterly change in the average number of DCS out-of-home kinship placements for foster care. The resulting change is the observed as the trend. This information is obtained through publicly available data.
Source: Department of Child Services
Last Updated: January 2025
Mitigating Factors: None Reported
Methodology
Methodology: Total number of out-of-home kinship placements in the current quarter is compared to the previous quarter. The change in trend is determined by the absolute difference in totals.
Goal: The goal is to observe an increase in out-of-home kinship placements.
Traffic Light:
Green: at least 1 person more compared to previous quarter
Gray: within +/- 1 person compared to previous quarter
Red: more than 1 person fewer compared to previous quarter
Supporting Research
The impact of foster care on development
Foster care is a protective intervention designed to provide out of home placement to children living in at-risk home environments.
Kinship and Nonrelative Foster Care: The Effect of Placement Type on Child Well-Being
This study uses a national sample of 1,215 children, ages 6–17, who spent some time in formal kinship or non-relative foster care to identify the effect of placement type on academic achievement, behavior, and health.
Kinship Care is Better for Children and Families
The idea of family members assisting and supporting each other is not new.
Impact of Kinship Care on Behavioral Well-being for Children in Out-of-Home Care
To examine the influence of kinship care on behavioral problems after 18 and 36 months in out-of-home care.
Related Indicators
Click to see more data trends related to Kinships Foster Care Placements
Department of Child Services
The Indiana Department of Child Services leads the state’s response to allegations of child abuse and neglect and facilitates child support payments.
Indicators in Action
The ‘Data Action Mini Grant’ program will provide low barrier grants to collaborating partners which will help increase cross-system collaboration and facilitate the community response to needs and/or gaps identified through the Elkhart County Child Dashboard. Applicants may request up to $2,000. Two or more applicants can collaborate for collaborative action based upon one or more data indicators and increase the grant request. By leveraging the ‘Data Action Mini Grant’ program partners can have a platform that helps to inform community goals and creates a stronger sustainability platform for their programs.
For a copy of the 1-page proposal template click here or email David Wiegner.