Abstract
Kinship care, as supported by the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018, is a preferred placement for children who cannot reside with their birth families and has deep roots in African American communities. Much kinship care is provided by grandparents. To date, we know little about the experiences of grandparents who are serving as formal kinship caregivers and whether these differ for African American and white grandparents. This study, conducted in an urban county in the rust belt, asked grandparent kinship caregivers about receipt of formal and informal services and supports, well-being, and the challenges and rewards of kinship caregiving. Sixty-two grandparents, recruited from two family-focused agencies, completed a self-administered online survey, and ten completed in-depth telephone interviews to provide additional detail and context for survey findings. Results show that only about half reported accessing either formal or informal services. African American grandparents were more likely to use informal services, reported higher levels of emotional/psychological well-being, and more limitations related to physical health problems. White grandparents were more likely to access child welfare services, reported lower levels of emotional/psychological well-being, and reported fewer limitations due to physical health problems. Interviews data suggest that differences in expectations, histories of family caregiving, and frameworks for thinking about kinship care that may contribute to differences between African American and white grandparents, with African American grandparents frequently endorsing a legacy perspective on caregiving responsibilities. Suggestions for future research and supportive practices are provided.