Cover art from “Kinship Across Kentucky: Recommendations from Caregiver Voices in 2024.” Around 55,000 Kentucky children are being raised by a relative or fictive kin, according to the report. (Kentucky Youth Advocates)
Kentuckians who are raising a minor relative need better access to mental health care, housing and other basic support services, according to a new report released Tuesday.
The report , from Kentucky Youth Advocates and the Kinship Families Coalition of Kentucky , is based on two online surveys and nine in-person listening sessions aimed at learning more about the challenges facing kinship caregivers.
Most of the caregivers surveyed were white women. They reported needing assistance with food, clothing and school supplies. Participants also said they needed help with finances, housing, information technology, peer support, respite care, mental health care and legal assistance, according to the report. They also reported child care as one of the most difficult supports to access.