Tribal Grandfamilies: An over-represented stakeholder group who has lacked access to training to prepare them for their caretaking role

Background and Purpose: AIAN children are 3.5 times more likely to be living in the home of a grandparent than white children (Bahr, 1994). Being culturally competent requires that child welfare authorities understand, embrace, and support the application of the broader definition of permanency as it relates to service provision with AIAN families, including the use of extended family care.  The expectation that grandparents will play a major role in the physical care and training of their grandchildren is common among most AIAN populations. A greater understanding is needed on how to support the development and maintenance of tribal grandfamilies and other extended family groupings when children are not able to be cared for by their biological parents. The purpose of this study is to develop programming that addresses the needs of AIAN grandparents and other relative caretakers who are caring for their relative’s children through foster care, adoption and/or guardianship.

Methods:  We conducted individual interviews with 11 child welfare professionals, foster parents, relative caretakers and youth from 11 different tribal nations in two major regions of the United States (Great Plains and Pacific NorthWest). Analyses were primarily descriptive.

Results:  The results centered around two primary themes, barriers that limited capacity to be a caregiver and training needs of kinship caregivers. Capacity issues identified included  financial challenges (particularly when parenting sibling groups); unnecessary hurdles relatives have to jump through that impeded licensing; and difficulty with being able to engage with the child’s school and being able to assist with homework.   Training needs identified by kinship caregivers included acknowledging different understandings of parenting, not just child-rearing styles, but also the roles of family members; system reliance on Western concepts of the nuclear family that are not necessarily the same in AIAN communities; understanding how to navigate tribal and community resources and how that might differ for children who are tribal members vs decedents; how to support children’s growth through cultural awareness and engagement & how to develop a sense of spirituality when living in urban vs rural (on vs off reservation) environments; and learning how to advocate for the child when they are experiencing racism.

Conclusions: American Indian grand families have important differences to be acknowledged in the development of programs that are being designed to serve this population. They have a history that is not fully acknowledged, but influences their present day decision-making process, and a different cultural worldview, which includes an exceptional role for grandparents and other extended family members. American Indian grandfamilies may be more likely to access training and benefit from social and human service delivery systems that incorporate the social construct of a knowledge base, which includes the specific context of their lived experiences.