When children are removed from their homes because of maltreatment, the goal of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is to return them to a loving, safe, stable, and permanent home as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the most recent statistics show that 47.3% of children and youth who entered substitute care from DCFS in 2018 were not placed in a permanent home within three years, and the permanency rate is worse for Black children.
This webpage presents work from a program of research on subsidized guardianship, one rarely used but promising permanency option that might help both increase permanency rates and reduce racial disparity. In subsidized guardianship, a family member, such as a grandmother or aunt, typically becomes the child's permanent caregiver, but the child's birthparents retain many of their parental rights. It is an alternative to adoption. Adoption is the best option for many families, but it requires termination of parental rights, which can be traumatic for children and families. Typically, DCFS provides subsidies to support the family's care of the child, but guardianship can also be a permanency option even if families do not qualify for subsidies or choose not to pursue them.
This was a team effort of the Children and Family Research Center, the Translational Research Team of DCFS' Office of Research and Child Well-Being, and several students and volunteers from the School of Social Work. This research was supported by the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign through its Call to Action to Address Racism & Social Injustice Research Program and by funding by DCFS to the Translational Research Team of the Office of Research and Child Well-Being.
The research assesses both professionals' and caregivers' experiences and opinions about guardianship and adoption, and it explores racial factors that may affect the use of guardianship. We collected interview and survey data from permanency professionals and from caregivers who have had at least one Black child in substitute care with the goal of becoming that child's permanent caregiver. The team is producing a series of reports, research briefs, presentations, and articles presenting results from the study. These products are available below. We will update it periodically. If you have questions about the research, please email Ted Cross at tpcross@illinois.edu.
The current work on guardianship builds on considerable earlier work by the Children and Family Research Center on this permanency option. This earlier work includes the program evaluation report from the pioneering Illinois Subsidized Guardianship Waiver Demonstration and studies of post-guardianship services.
Cady Landa, Theodore Cross, Heather Fox, Robin LaSota, Diamond Hines, Tachauna Parsons, Magdelene Thebaud, and Eunjee Song
This conference paper, written for the 2023 Research Conference of the Association for Public Policy and Management, explains federal and Illinois legislation and regulation regarding guardianship as a permanency option for children in foster care. It presents key findings from interviews and surveys of kin/fictive kin caregivers of black children and permanency professionals on how caregivers and professionals choose between guardianship and adoption; caregivers' experiences with agencies with permanency planning and substitute care; perceptions of caregivers and professionals of the role of race in permanency planning and decision-making; and barriers to guardianship.
Caregivers of Black Children and Youth in Care: Their Experiences of Permanency Processes, Adoption, and Guardianship, Report of Findings from a Survey of Caregivers PDF
Heather Fox, Theodore Cross, Robin LaSota, Cady Landa, and Eunjee Song
The Illinois caregiver survey was designed to capture caregivers’ perspectives on the permanency process, adoption, and guardianship. There were 137 caregivers who completed this survey, and they shared information about the 335 children in their care. Caregivers share in this survey their views on the communications they received about permanency options, the barriers that complicated and delayed permanency for a child in their care, their perspective on racial inequities in the permanency process, and the support they would find helpful in caring for the Black youth in their care. The findings from this study suggest five strategies for improving outcomes for children in care, especially Black children.
Kin Caregivers of Black Children and Youth in Care: Their Experiences of Permanency Processes and Substitute Care, with a Focus on Guardianship: Report of Caregiver Interview FindingsPDF
Cady Landa, Theodore Cross, Heather Fox, Robin LaSota, Diamond Hines, Tachauna Parsons, Magdelene Thebaud, and Eunjee Song
When children are removed from their home for maltreatment, the goal of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is to return them to a loving, safe, stable, and permanent home as soon as possible through reunification, adoption, or guardianship. Unfortunately, the most recent statistics show that 47.3% of children and youth who entered substitute care from DCFS in 2018 were not placed in a permanent home within three years, and the permanency rate is worse for Black children. This is one of a series of reports from a research program exploring subsidized guardianship, one rarely used but promising permanency option that might help increase permanency rates and reduce racial disparities in attaining permanency. With guardianship, a family member or close family friend becomes the child’s permanent caregiver, but the child’s birthparents can retain parental rights such as visitation or the ability to petition the court for reunification at a later time. The guardianship may be eligible for a subsidy, similar to an adoption subsidy, to assist in the care of the child. This report presents results from interviews with 11 long-term kin and fictive kin caregivers of Black children in substitute care. The interviews examine the caregivers’ experience of permanency planning for the children in their care.
Kin Caregivers of Black Children and Youth in Care: Their Experiences of Permanency Processes and Substitute Care, with a Focus on GuardianshipPDF
Ted Cross, Cady Landa, Heather Fox, Robin LaSota, Magdelene Thebaud, Diamond Hines, Tachauna Parsons, Eunjee Song, Sharva Hampton-Campbell, Soonhyung Kwon, and Mary Jane Steiner
In 2022, nearly 150 caregivers of Black children and youth participated in interviews and a survey to share experiences with child welfare services in permanency planning in Illinois. Caregivers shared factors that facilitate and inhibit the use of subsidized guardianship, as well as insights on strategies for improving supports to reduce race disparities in permanency outcomes. These findings illustrate the importance of: 1) adequate, timely, and consistent information on all permanency options, including guardianship; 2) system supports to direct service staff, court personnel, and others supporting families amidst staffing shortages and turnover; 3) ongoing engagement and personalized support with caregivers on trauma-informed parenting strategies; 4) increased representation of Black professionals in family support and permanency work, alongside deep work to build race equity practice in permanency planning. Presented on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at the Illinois DCFS Office of Parent and Caregiver Support Statewide Meeting in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.
Are Child Welfare Case Outcomes Black and White? Racial Disproportionality Through the Lens of Permanency ProfessionalsPDF
Heather Fox, Theodore Cross, and Magdelene Thebaud
Tensions in prevailing beliefs about permanency among judges, attorneys, and child welfare workers have broad implications for efforts to address racial inequities in child welfare outcomes. Findings from a study of subsidized guardianship have broad implications to the broader child welfare system. It will take concerted efforts and cultural changes among system partners including the justice system, prevention services, child welfare professionals, service professionals, and the court system to address disparities for Black children and improve outcomes for children who have experienced neglect or child maltreatment. Presented on Thursday, May 25, 2023, at the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s 30th Colloquium in Denver, Colorado.
Exploring the Role of Guardianship in Effective and Equitable Permanency: Report of Findings for the Survey of Permanency ProfessionalsPDF
Heather Fox, Theodore Cross, Robin LaSota, Cady Landa and Eunjee Song
This report presents findings from a survey of Illinois permanency caseworkers and supervisors. The survey captured permanency professionals’ perspectives on the permanency process, adoption, and guardianship. This includes questions on 1) factors affecting the permanency process, 2) the comparison of adoption and guardianship, 3) circumstances supporting guardianship, 4) race disparities in the permanency process, and 5) professional development and support. The survey of permanency professionals was one component of a study of subsidized guardianship, an infrequently used but promising alternative for finding permanent homes for children in foster care. Our aim is to inform efforts to use guardianship wisely to increase the number of children placed in loving, stable, permanent homes, especially Black children.
Exploring the Role of Guardianship in Effective and Equitable Permanency: Report on the Professional Interview StudyPDF
Ted Cross, Cady Landa, Heather Fox, Robin LaSota, Magdelene Thebaud, Diamond Hines, Tachauna Parsons, Eunjee Song, Sharva Hampton-Campbell, Soonhyung Kwon, and Mary Jane Steiner
When children are removed from their home because of maltreatment, the goal of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is to return them to a loving, safe, stable, and permanent home as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the most recent statistics show that 47.3% of children and youth who entered substitute care from DCFS in 2018 were not placed in a permanent home within three years, and the permanency rate is worse for Black children. This is one of a series of reports from a research program exploring subsidized guardianship, one rarely used but promising permanency option that might help both increase permanency rates and reduce racial disparity. In subsidized guardianship, a family member such as a grandmother or aunt typically becomes the child’s permanent caregiver, but the child’s birthparents retain many of their parental rights. This report presents results from interviews with 40 Illinois professionals doing permanency work, including caseworkers, casework supervisors, DCFS attorneys, guardians ad litem, and judges. The interviews examine professionals’ experience with and opinions about subsidized guardianship and adoption, its chief alternative. The interviews also explore professionals’ perceptions regarding the role of race in permanency work. This research was supported by the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, through its Call to Action to Address Racism & Social Injustice Research Program; and by funding by DCFS to the Translational Research Team of the Office of Research and Child Well-Being.
Ted Cross, Cady Landa, Heather L. Fox, Robin LaSota, Magdelene Thebaud, Diamond Hines, Tachauna Parsons, Eunjee Song, Sharva Hampton-Campbell, Soonhyung Kwon, and Mary Jane Steiner
When children are removed from their home because of maltreatment, the goal of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is to return them to a loving, safe, stable, and permanent home as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the most recent statistics show that 47.3% of children and youth who entered substitute care from DCFS in 2018 were not placed in a permanent home within three years, and the permanency rate is worse for Black children. This brief reports on research on subsidized guardianship, one rarely used but promising permanency option that might help both increase permanency rates and reduce racial disparity. In subsidized guardianship, a family member such as a grandmother or aunt typically becomes the child’s permanent caregiver, but the child’s birthparents retain many of their parental rights. This research was supported by the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, through its Call to Action to Address Racism & Social Injustice Research Program; and by funding by DCFS to the Translational Research Team of the Office of Research and Child Well-Being. A poster and Powerpoint presentation resulting from this research are also available on this website.
Understanding Racial Disproportionality in Finding Permanent Homes for African-American Children in Out-of-Home Care: A Study of Subsidized GuardianshipPDF
Ted Cross, Cady Landa, Heather Fox, Robin LaSota, Magdelene Thebaud, Diamond Hines, Tachauna Parsons, Eunjee Song, Sharva Hampton-Campbell, Soonhyung Kwon, and Mary Jane Steiner
When children are removed from their home because of maltreatment, the goal of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is to return them to a loving, safe, stable, and permanent home as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the most recent statistics show that 47.3% of children and youth who entered substitute care from DCFS in 2018 were not placed in a permanent home within three years, and the permanency rate is worse for Black children. This symposium presentation reports on research on subsidized guardianship, one rarely used but promising permanency option that might help both increase permanency rates and reduce racial disparity. In subsidized guardianship, a family member such as a grandmother or aunt typically becomes the child’s permanent caregiver, but the child’s birthparents retain many of their parental rights. This research was supported by the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, through its Call to Action to Address Racism & Social Injustice Research Program. A companion poster about the study is also available on this website.
Understanding Racial Disproportionality in Finding Permanent Homes for African-American Children in Out-of-Home Care: A Study of Subsidized GuardianshipPDF
Ted Cross, Cady Landa, Heather Fox, Robin LaSota, Magdelene Thebaud, Diamond Hines, Tachauna Parsons, Eunjee Song, Sharva Hampton-Campbell, Soonhyung Kwon, and Mary Jane Steiner
When children are removed from their home because of maltreatment, the goal of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is to return them to a loving, safe, stable, and permanent home as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the most recent statistics show that 47.3% of children and youth who entered substitute care from DCFS in 2018 were not placed in a permanent home within three years, and the permanency rate is worse for Black children. This symposium presentation reports on research on subsidized guardianship, one rarely used but promising permanency option that might help both increase permanency rates and reduce racial disparity. In subsidized guardianship, a family member such as a grandmother or aunt typically becomes the child’s permanent caregiver, but the child’s birthparents retain many of their parental rights. This research was supported by the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, through its Call to Action to Address Racism & Social Injustice Research Program. A companion oral presentation about the study is also available on this website.
CFRC
This brief reports results of a survey of parents who had adopted children through DCFS about their families' service needs and financial situation post-adoption, and about the adoption subsidies they received. Most families obtained the services they need, but some service needs were unmet. Most families were limited financially, and for some, the subsidy was their primary source of income. Most families thought the subsidy was inadequate to meet their child's needs.
Evaluation of Adoption Preservation, Advocacy, and Linkage (APAL) and Maintaining Adoption Connections (MAC) Programs: Final ReportPDF
Eun Koh and Nancy Rolock
Adoption Preservation, Advocacy and Linkage (APAL) is a needs assessment outreach program implemented by private agencies in and around the Chicago area. The program is targeted at families with children who exited foster care to subsidized adoptive or guardianship homes. The Maintaining Adoption Connections (MAC) program is operated through a different set of private agencies and provides services to the families identified through the APAL outreach program. This report evaluates the first year of implementation of the APAL/MAC programs, which is from October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008.
Liz Quinn, Crystal MacAllum, Janet Ciarico, John Rogers
The Illinois Permanency for Older Wards Waiver (2005-2008) tested the effects of offering an enhanced set of transition and post-permanency services to youth who were considering subsidized guardianship or adoption. A previous Illinois subsidized guardianship waiver demonstration (1997-2002) found that the availability of subsidized guardianship boosted permanency rates, but more so for younger children than for teenagers. In response, the Older Wards Waiver was designed to determine whether the prospect of losing eligibility for some enhanced transition services after adoption or subsidized guardianship was the reason for the lower permanency rate for teens.
Nancy Rolock, Leslie Cohen
Presented at the 11th National Child Welfare Data and Technology Conference, July 21, 2008. The rapid growth in the number of children adopted or taken into guardianship from public child welfare systems has raised concerns about the services needs of families post-finalization. This presentation provided an overview of the results of a statewide survey of caregivers who had adopted or assumed guardianship of a foster child in Illinois, in addition to the results of a national survey of child welfare administrators comparing post-permanency services.
Subsidized Guardianship Demonstrations: What We Have Learned and How Those Lessons Are Guiding Policy and PracticePDF
Mark Testa
In the late 1990s, the Federal Government instituted IV-E Waiver Subsidized Guardianship Demonstrations in six states to test the feasibility of a new option to achieve permanency. These experiments offered subsidies to relative caregivers who were willing to assume guardianships to provide long-term permanency for foster children. The findings and policy implications of the IV-E Subsidized Guardianship Demonstrations in several states will be presented. Additionally, findings that highlight the advantages of foster children who are reared by relatives will be shown.
Mark Testa
Presentation at the Fall Membership Practice, Policy, and Networking meeting of the Child Care Association of Illinois, given on November 8, 2007. This presentation provides an overview of the mental health and special education status of children in foster care in Illinois. It also provides information on the growing group of foster children who have exited the system to adoption or guardianship.
CFRC
This brief provides an overview of the introduction and implementation of subsidized guardianship in Illinois, including results from the federal Title IV-E waiver demonstration evaluation.
Tamara Fuller, Melinda Lis
In 2000, the number of Illinois children in publicly-assisted adoptive and guardianship homes surpassed the number of children in foster care. The challenge that Illinois and other states now face is how to sustain these newly-formed family relationships. This presentation presents findings from two studies: a statewide survey of adoptive and guardianship parents in Illinois regarding their service needs; and a national survey of public child welfare agencies regarding post-adoption subsidies, services and spending. Findings from this survey provide valuable information on practices and services that will best support this population. Presented at the Child Welfare League of America National Conference, Washington, DC, February 27, 2007.
Supporting Adoptions and Guardianship in Illinois: An Analysis of Subsidies, Services, and SpendingPDF
Tamara Fuller, Christina Bruhn, Melinda Lis, Nancy Rolock, Leslie Cohen
This report presents the results of a comprehensive evaluation of post-adoption and guardianship services in Illinois. Three separate studies are included:
Leslie Cohen, Mark Testa
This brief summarizes results from the Illinois Subsidized Guardianship Waiver Demonstration evaluation.
Kinship Care and Permanency
Mark Testa
Examined whether kinship foster care should be favored as a form of permanency in and of itself or whether it should be avoided as a barrier to more binding forms of legal permanency (adoption, guardianship) in the child welfare system. The issue was examined using data from Cook County, Illinois, based on event history methods to analyze placement histories for 1992-1995 cohorts of 23,685 children and a 1994 matched, cross-sectional sample of 1,910 children. Results show that kin placements were more stable than non-kin placements, but that the advantage diminished with lengthier durations of care. It is suggested that current trends indicate a greater potential for legal permanency with kin than earlier literature has suggested.