The Costs of Caregiving: Why Supporting Grandfamilies and Kinship Care is Good for Children and Our Nation’s Economy
Article Publication Date
Summary
On October 16, Generations United released the 2025 update to the annual State of Grandfamilies and Kinship Care Report. About 2.5 million children across the country are being raised in grandfamilies or kinship care, in which grandparents, adult relatives, or close family friends care for children without their parents in the home.
Grandparents and relatives raising children often live on fixed incomes and step in with little warning to care for children who have faced trauma, substance use, or loss. This report highlights the critical role these caregivers play in supporting children, families, and the nation’s child welfare system, as well as the challenges they face in doing so.
The 2025 State of Grandfamilies and Kinship Care Update highlights:
• National data on the economic and social impact of kin caregivers
• The challenges families face in providing stability and care
• Policy solutions that are cost-effective, targeted, and bipartisan-friendly
• State-by-state data on children being raised by kin
Grandparents and relatives raising children often live on fixed incomes and step in with little warning to care for children who have faced trauma, substance use, or loss. This report highlights the critical role these caregivers play in supporting children, families, and the nation’s child welfare system, as well as the challenges they face in doing so.
The 2025 State of Grandfamilies and Kinship Care Update highlights:
• National data on the economic and social impact of kin caregivers
• The challenges families face in providing stability and care
• Policy solutions that are cost-effective, targeted, and bipartisan-friendly
• State-by-state data on children being raised by kin