The number of children who live in kinship care arrangements has been rising. This book prepares social work students and child welfare professionals to engage kinship caregivers and the children who reside with them using a relationship-building approach.

Kinship care is one of the most prevalent forms of placement that is used for maltreated children and youths. This valuable resource is the first to provide a systematic and theory-informed approach to preparing caregivers for the vital role they play in the lives of abused and neglected children. It presents a relationship-building approach that can be used to better achieve the three major child welfare goals: (1) protection; (2) permanency; and (3) well-being. Child welfare students and practitioners will learn evidence-based practice and policy strategies that foster attachment, identity, and belongingness in children, enabling the children to reconnect and establish important relationships and social supports that are vital to their development.