Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) children remain significantly overrepresented in the U.S. child welfare system. A study from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health highlights how kinship care—placement with relatives—and culturally responsive placements can improve stability.
Published in Child and Family Social Work , the study analyzed 2020 Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System data to examine placement stability and factors contributing to successful outcomes.
"Looking at kinship care specifically for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander children is critical because their experiences are often hidden within aggregated data, which glosses over both disparities and strengths within these communities," said Meripa Godinet, lead author of the study and associate dean of the Thompson School. "By focusing on NHPI children, we can better understand how cultural values, extended family networks, and community ties uniquely support stability in foster care, and ensure that child welfare policies reflect and strengthen these culturally grounded systems of care."
Key findings
NHPI children placed in kinship care were nearly twice as likely to experience stable placements compared to those in other foster care settings. Those placed with NHPI foster parents were also 1.5 times more likely to have stable placements.
"Research indicates that when children are placed in kinship care they are more likely to have improved well-being outcomes, to maintain sibling relationships, and stay connected to their cultures," said Francie Julien-Chinn, co-author of the study and associate professor in the Department of Social Work .
The findings underscore the need for culturally responsive child welfare policies that strengthen kinship care and prioritize culturally matched placements to reduce disparities and improve stability for NHPI children.
The post Kinship care improves placement stability for NHPI children first appeared on University of Hawaiʻi System News .
