title: Program evaluation of the CREST project: empirical support for kinship care as an effective approach to permanency planning.
abstract: The number of children, especially from ethnic minority groups, in substitute care is growing rapidly even as the number of foster care homes is steadily decreasing. Kinship care has quickly become the permanency planning option of choice. This article describes a model kinship care project and the results of an extensive program evaluation. Results show that the project enhances functioning of relative caregivers and reduces the cost of care. Implications for contemporary permanency planning are presented.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos 78666, USA.
authors.forename: Catherine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: Tammy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers; D019090:Case Management; D002648:Child; D002655:Child Custody; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004493:Education; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012944:Social Support; D012947:Social Work / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D013781:Texas