The Longitudinal Effects of Promotive Factors On Competence in African American Children in Informal Kinship Care

Background and Purpose: The majority of the 2.3 million children who live with relatives with neither parent present reside in informal kinship care, which is defined as the care of children by relatives without the involvement of the child welfare system or the legal authority that comes from adoption. In general, research on kinship care suggests we know more about problems and needs than we do about strengths of these families. The few kinship care studies that examine children's positive outcomes indicate that children in formal kinship care (relative placements supervised by child welfare) have competence scores similar to the general population, and higher than children in foster care. However, little is known about the factors that promote competence in children in formal kinship care, and virtually no research exists on the prevalence and promoters of competence in children in informal kinship care. This study used a risk and resilience framework to guide the examination of whether family factors (e.g., social support, family functioning) promote the development of children's competence, and whether these family factors are associated with an increase in competence over time. The study also examined if competence is more likely to increase over time in children with lower competence levels and in children that resided with caregivers for shorter periods of time at baseline.

Methods: This study analyzed existing longitudinal data (Waves 1,2,3,4) collected from 2002 to 2005 through interviews of families caring for related children in informal kinship care arrangements. All African American children who had at least two observations of the Child Behavior Checklist Competence Scale were selected to participate in the current study. Thus, the study's sample consists of 120 African American children who at wave 1 were between the ages of 5.9 years to 11.2 years. The Social Support, SFI Family Functioning, Parenting Stress Index, and Family Resources Scales are additional standardized measures utilized in this study. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to analyze data, because it accounts for the influence of subjects on their repeated observations and adjusts standard errors.

Results: The HLM analyses revealed significant associations (p<.05) between the relationship children have with biological parents, social support, and family functioning and competence; however, the effects of these family factors on competence do not vary across waves. Also, a greater increase (p<.05) in competence over time was found in children who have lower competence levels and in children who have resided with caregivers for shorter periods of time at baseline.

Conclusion and Implications: Development of competence places children on track to be successful adults. This study provides knowledge to practitioners about the specific family factors that can be used in interventions to promote children's competence. Additionally, to ensure the development of competence in children with lower competence levels and in children who have resided with caregivers for shorter periods of time, future research should investigate whether family factors promote competence, and whether they are associated with an increase in competence over time for this population.