E home and place him or her with a family member ?has become a highly utilized resource. As with many relatively new constructs and policies, research regarding the efficacy of kinship Pan-RAS-IN-1 web foster care in promoting well-being in youth placed in out-of-home care lacks definitive evidence. Many reasons exist for child welfare services to opt to place children with other family members when removed from the home. It is presumed that this process is less disruptive, as the child is being placed with someone he or she already knows. Furthermore, placement with relatives may facilitate communication and contact with the child’s parents (Berrick, Barth, Needell, 1994; Schwartz, 2008). Children in kinship foster care are often able to remain housed with siblings, which has been cited as both a protective and a stabilizing factor (Barth et al., 2007b). Generally kinship foster care placements are more stable, with more children in these settings experiencing as few as one placement, as opposed to nonkinship foster care in which it is not uncommon for children to have four or more placements (Aarons et al., 2010; Fowler, Toro, Miles, 2009; James, Landsverk,J Soc Serv Res. Author manuscript; buy NSC 697286 available in PMC 2016 February 25.Rufa and FowlerPageSlyman, 2004; Perry, Daly, Kotler, 2012). These factors have been the driving rationale for why children may fare better when placed with kin rather than non-kin. Although research supports the potential of kinship settings to increase stability in placements, findings on the impact of this placement on mental health outcomes are mixed. Some studies imply that kinship foster care has positive effects on youth placed out of the home. In one study, kinship foster caregivers were less likely to report internalizing and externalizing problems in the youth in their care than nonkinship foster caregivers (Hegar Rosenthal, 2009), and another corroborated that those in kinship care exhibited fewer behavioral problems than those in nonkinship care, specifically related to fewer placements (Vanschoonlandt, Vanderfaeillie, Van Holen, De Maeyer, Andries, 2012). Other research supports better mental health functioning in general for youth placed in kinship foster care. Youth in kinship care exhibited a better change in social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes compared to those in non-relative foster care in all cases, even when living with depressed caregivers (Garcia et al., 2015). Keller et al. (2001) found that children placed in kinship foster care were no more likely to exceed clinical cut-offs on competence or problem behavior scales on the Child Behavior Checklist than children in the general population; however, children placed in nonkinship foster care were significantly more likely to score in the clinical range on this measure. While this suggests positive effects of kinship foster care on mental health, other studies find null or negative effects. In contrast to studies showing better outcomes when youth are placed in kinship settings, there is evidence to suggest that kinship youth have greater emotional and behavioral problems compared to both the general population (Dubowitz, Zuravin, Starr, Feigelman, Harrington, 1993) as well as youth in nonkinship foster homes (Cuddeback, 2004). In one study, teachers reported higher behavioral problems in kinship foster youth compared to nonkinship foster youth (Hegar Rosenthal, 2009). Another suggested that 26 of children in kinship foster care reported cl.E home and place him or her with a family member ?has become a highly utilized resource. As with many relatively new constructs and policies, research regarding the efficacy of kinship foster care in promoting well-being in youth placed in out-of-home care lacks definitive evidence. Many reasons exist for child welfare services to opt to place children with other family members when removed from the home. It is presumed that this process is less disruptive, as the child is being placed with someone he or she already knows. Furthermore, placement with relatives may facilitate communication and contact with the child’s parents (Berrick, Barth, Needell, 1994; Schwartz, 2008). Children in kinship foster care are often able to remain housed with siblings, which has been cited as both a protective and a stabilizing factor (Barth et al., 2007b). Generally kinship foster care placements are more stable, with more children in these settings experiencing as few as one placement, as opposed to nonkinship foster care in which it is not uncommon for children to have four or more placements (Aarons et al., 2010; Fowler, Toro, Miles, 2009; James, Landsverk,J Soc Serv Res. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2016 February 25.Rufa and FowlerPageSlyman, 2004; Perry, Daly, Kotler, 2012). These factors have been the driving rationale for why children may fare better when placed with kin rather than non-kin. Although research supports the potential of kinship settings to increase stability in placements, findings on the impact of this placement on mental health outcomes are mixed. Some studies imply that kinship foster care has positive effects on youth placed out of the home. In one study, kinship foster caregivers were less likely to report internalizing and externalizing problems in the youth in their care than nonkinship foster caregivers (Hegar Rosenthal, 2009), and another corroborated that those in kinship care exhibited fewer behavioral problems than those in nonkinship care, specifically related to fewer placements (Vanschoonlandt, Vanderfaeillie, Van Holen, De Maeyer, Andries, 2012). Other research supports better mental health functioning in general for youth placed in kinship foster care. Youth in kinship care exhibited a better change in social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes compared to those in non-relative foster care in all cases, even when living with depressed caregivers (Garcia et al., 2015). Keller et al. (2001) found that children placed in kinship foster care were no more likely to exceed clinical cut-offs on competence or problem behavior scales on the Child Behavior Checklist than children in the general population; however, children placed in nonkinship foster care were significantly more likely to score in the clinical range on this measure. While this suggests positive effects of kinship foster care on mental health, other studies find null or negative effects. In contrast to studies showing better outcomes when youth are placed in kinship settings, there is evidence to suggest that kinship youth have greater emotional and behavioral problems compared to both the general population (Dubowitz, Zuravin, Starr, Feigelman, Harrington, 1993) as well as youth in nonkinship foster homes (Cuddeback, 2004). In one study, teachers reported higher behavioral problems in kinship foster youth compared to nonkinship foster youth (Hegar Rosenthal, 2009). Another suggested that 26 of children in kinship foster care reported cl.