Diverse Characteristics and Parenting Stress Among Different Types of Kinship Caregivers in Taiwan: Evidence from a Cultural Lens

Background:

In accordance with UNCRC principles, kinship care has been prioritized within the hierarchy of out-of-home care placements in Taiwan since 2010. However, despite this, kinship care represents only just 6% of foster care placements in 2023. Limited research has addressed the service needs of caregiving. While a wider range of kinship caregivers, including grandparents, uncles, aunts, and fictive kin, are involved in foster caregiving, it remains unclear whether different types of kinship caregivers experience varying levels of parenting stress, relationship dynamics with the child in care, and perceived social support. Furthermore, due to the paternal tradition in Taiwanese culture, caregiving responsibilities often fall to relatives sharing the child's last name. It is crucial to explore whether paternal versus maternal relatives, as well as fictive kinship caregivers, have distinct caregiving needs. This study aims to (1) examine the association between kinship caregiver types and parenting stress and (2) compare characteristics between paternal and maternal kinship caregivers to provide culturally informed practice.

Methods:

A survey conducted between June and October 2021 included 98 respondents, representing approximately 75% of formal kinship caregivers in Taiwan. The questionnaire gathered information on caregivers' demographics, case planning, parenting stress, social support, and service needs. The final sample size after multiple imputations in SPSS was 588. For analysis, the sample was categorized as (1) 21% grandparents, 46% other relatives, and 33% fictive kinship caregivers; and (2) 37% paternal relatives, 26% maternal relatives, and 37% fictive kinship caregivers. Data cleaning and descriptive analyses, including t-test, Chi-square, ANOVA, and multiple regression, were conducted in Stata 18.0.

Results:

In Taiwan, female kinship caregivers assumed different roles on the paternal and maternal sides, with paternal aunts and maternal grandparents taking on more caregiving responsibilities. Characteristics varied significantly among caregiver types. Grandparents had lower financial resources, less social support, and fewer cohabiting adults to share caregiving duties, compared to other relatives and fictive kinship caregivers. Maternal relative caregivers exhibited conditions similar to those of grandparents, compared to paternal relatives and fictive kinship caregivers. Regarding parenting stress, grandparents reported higher levels of distress, dysfunctional family interaction, and child-related difficulties, compared to fictive kinship caregivers. Maternal relatives reported poorer interactions with the focal child and greater caregiving challenges, compared to paternal relatives and fictive kin.

Implications:

Findings indicate distinct characteristics and caregiving needs among kinship caregivers. Specifically, grandparents and maternal relatives demonstrated more adverse conditions and less support, along with higher levels of parenting stress. The findings have implications for practice within the Taiwanese cultural and societal context. Tailored services and increased social support are essential for various caregiver types. Particularly, while paternal relatives may have more family support and motivation to care for the focal child, maternal relatives have increased service needs that deserve significant attention from child welfare practitioners. Also, considering the increased number of fictive kinship caregivers, who are found to present better support and less stress, the Taiwanese child welfare system needs to assess a broader range of significant others for kinship caregiving roles.