"You Have to be on Your P's and Q's": Exploring the Barriers and Facilitators to Licensure for Bipoc Kinship Families

Background and Purpose: Approximately 2.5 million children in the United States are raised in kinship care arrangements. In 2024, approximately 127,449 (39%) of all children in foster care were placed with relatives or kin, and nearly half (44%) were with unlicensed caregivers. Kinship caregivers who pursue licensure may gain access to critical financial and social supports; however, licensure rates remain low, particularly among BIPOC caregivers who are overrepresented in kinship caregiving. Despite this disparity, little is known about the lived experiences and decision-making of BIPOC kinship caregivers regarding licensure. This study addresses this gap by examining the barriers and facilitators that shape BIPOC kinship caregivers' decisions to pursue or forgo supported permanency in Texas.

Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional qualitative design integrating phenomenological and community-engaged research approaches. Participants were recruited through state kinship division listservs and kinship-focused community organizations using purposive criterion and snowball sampling. Eligible participants identified as kinship or fictive kin caregivers providing care for at least one child under 18. A total of 48 kinship caregivers participated in semi-structured interviews conducted via Zoom in English or Spanish, lasting approximately 60 minutes. Participants ranged in age from 21 to 77 years (M = 50). The sample was predominantly female and racially diverse; participants identified as Black or African American (n = 18), Hispanic/Latino/a/x (n = 18), White/Caucasian (n = 12), and Multiracial (n = 1); racial and ethnic categories were not mutually exclusive. Relationships to the child included grandparent or great-grandparent (n = 22), aunt (n = 12), fictive kin (n = 4), cousin (n = 3), foster or adoptive parent (n = 2), and sibling (n = 2). Approximately 21% held licensure at the time of the interview. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, translated, and back-translated by a native Spanish-speaking research team member. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's (2022) reflexive thematic analysis by two independent coders using MAXQDA 2024.

Findings: We identified five interconnected themes: (1) Legal Ambiguities and Informal Placements, reflecting widespread confusion about custodial rights and placement type; (2) Facilitators and Pathways to Supported Permanency, highlighting the pivotal role of kinship-specific workers in connecting caregivers to resources; (3) Structural Barriers and Administrative Burdens, including cost-prohibitive home study requirements and inflexible training schedules; (4) Intersectionality and Fear of Removals, wherein caregivers described systemic mistrust and fear of drawing attention from child welfare agencies; and (5) Differentiating Kinship Care from Foster Care, in which caregivers positioned their role as rooted in family obligation rather than financial compensation, shaping their ambivalence toward licensure.

Conclusion and Implications: Findings underscore the need for culturally and linguistically responsive licensing processes, clearer communication about caregivers' legal standing and eligibility, and flexible funding mechanisms that do not require full licensure. System-level reforms must account for the structural, relational, and cultural dimensions of BIPOC caregivers' decision-making to advance equity in child welfare policy and practice.