October 20, 2020 1

GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN ADVISORY COUNCIL

FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

October 20, 2020

On October 20, 2020, the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (SGRG) 

Advisory Council finalized twenty-two recommendations intended to advance change 

and improve supports to Kinship Families and Grandfamilies of all ages. The following 

recommendations grew out of months of discussion, examination of relevant data and 

public input from kinship and grandparent caregivers as well as community 

organizations and state government agencies. They address critical priority areas 

including awareness of, and outreach, to Kinship Families and Grandfamily caregivers 

and the importance of their engagement as key partners in healthcare delivery and 

long-term services and supports; strengthening community-based services and 

supports; ensuring financial and workplace security; and greater focus on research, 

data, and evidence-supported practices to ensure Kinship Families and Grandfamilies 

receive support in a fair and impartial manner considering the physical, cultural, 

emotional, and financial impact to create a better future for these families to flourish.

These recommendations will be included in the SGRG Council’s initial Report to 

Congress in 2021 and add to the foundation for the National Family Caregiving Strategy 

that will begin development next year. The Strategy will outline critical actions that can 

be taken at the federal, state levels, by local communities as well as health, long-term 

services providers and others to better support family caregivers in ways that reflect 

their diverse needs. The Strategy will focus on areas such as person and familycentered care; assessment and service planning; information, education and training 

supports; respite options; and financial and workplace security issues. The Strategy will 

provide a roadmap for the nation to strengthen its support and recognition of the critical 

role family caregivers’ play in our healthcare and long-term support systems.
October 20, 2020 2

Awareness of/Outreach to Kinship Family and Grandfamily Caregivers

Recommendation 1.1: Increase public awareness and recognition of the unique 

strengths and needs of Kinship and Grandfamily caregivers and the importance of 

supporting them while they support the children in their care.

Recommendation 1.2: Improve outreach to Kinship Families and Grandfamilies to 

help them to identify their critical role as primary caregivers so they seek access to 

appropriate services and supports.

Recommendation 1.3: Increase Kinship Families and Grandfamilies’ awareness of, 

and access to, the full range of available information, services, and supports to help 

them meet their needs and the needs of the children in their care.
October 20, 2020 3

Grandfamily and Kinship Caregiver Engagement

Recommendation 2.1: Ensure Kinship and Grandfamily caregivers are recognized 

as an integral part of the child’s care team, engaged in programs that are family 

centered and cognizant of the conflicting goals in care.

Recommendation 2.2: Increase the use of comprehensive assessments to 

determine caregiver and family strengths and needs when identifying appropriate 

services for Kinship Families and Grandfamilies who are seeking help.

Recommendation 2.3: Increase the inclusion of Kinship and Grandfamily 

caregivers and young people’s voices in the planning of services by all relevant 

entities such as child welfare, aging, income support, and community-based 

organizations and service providers.

Recommendation 2.4: Increase the inclusion of the topic of Kinship Families and 

Grandfamilies in the education curricula and programs for healthcare, social 

workers, child welfare, legal, judicial, education, aging, disability, and related 

professions.
October 20, 2020 4

Services and Supports for Kinship Families and Grandfamilies

Recommendation 3.1: Increase Kinship Families and Grandfamilies access to

information, services, and supports.

Recommendation 3.2: Increase the availability of high quality, setting-appropriate 

and Kinship Family and Grandfamily-centered respite and childcare services.

Recommendation 3.3: Increase the availability and types of culturally competent, 

trauma informed counseling, training, and education for Kinship Families and 

Grandfamilies, including best practices, model approaches, and evidence-based 

interventions. 

Recommendation 3.4: Increase the availability of supports and services that 

specifically meet the needs of the caregiver. 

Recommendation 3.5: Expand the use of technology as a means of supporting 

Kinship Families and Grandfamilies.

Recommendation 3.6: Expand the use of volunteers and mentors and peer to peer 

supports as a means for supporting Kinship Families and Grandfamilies, including as 

a possible path to employment or career development.

Recommendation 3.7: Improve availability and access to free and or affordable 

quality legal and financial information, guidance, and services for Kinship families 

and Grandfamilies.

Recommendation 3.8: Improve child welfare system approaches to better prioritize 

and support the placement of children with relatives when they cannot remain their 

parents.
October 20, 2020 5

Financial and Workplace Security for Kinship and Grandfamily Caregivers

Recommendation 4.1: Promote policies that prevent Kinship and Grandfamily 

caregivers from being financially disadvantaged by their caregiving responsibilities.

Recommendation 4.2: Advance the development and broad adoption of workplace 

policies, flexibilities, and practices that recognize Kinship Family and Grandfamily 

responsibilities as a fundamental part of each worker’s life and support public-private 

partnerships that enable scalable solutions.

Recommendation 4.3: Increase the availability and use of tailored resources that 

Kinship Families and Grandfamilies can use to make informed financial decisions 

and plan for future financial needs.

Recommendation 4.4: Ensure that Kinship Families and Grandfamilies have the 

resources they need to engage in advance planning so that they may provide for 

children in the event of illness or incapacity.
October 20, 2020 6

Research, Data, and Evidence-Supported Practices

Recommendation 5.1: Establish a national approach for obtaining, analyzing, and 

disseminating relevant data on Kinship Families and Grandfamilies.

Recommendation 5.2: Increase, support, and sustain research and development 

including adequate investments for evaluation of programs that support Kinship 

Families and Grandfamilies.

Recommendation 5.3: Increase the promotion, translation, and dissemination of 

promising practices, model approaches, evidence-informed and evidence based 

practices to support Kinship Families and Grandfamilies.