Children and Youth Services Review 157 (2024) 107420 Available online 24 December 2023 0190-7409/© 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. “Now I am calm because they guide you:” A mixed-method exploratory study of the service needs and experiences of Latine kinship caregivers in Washington State Anthony G´ omez a, * , Sierra L. Wollen b , Angelique G. Day b , Katherine V. Garcia-Rosales b , Alanna Feltner b , AnnaMarie Shearlock b , Geene Delaplane c a School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA b School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA c Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families, Seattle, WA, USA A R T I C L E INFO Keywords: Kinship care Latino Kinship navigator program Child welfare Mixed methods Foster care ABSTRACT Although kinship care is a mainstay across many Latine cultures, few studies have examined the experiences of Latine kinship caregivers, a group of caregivers who may be subject to a unique combination of stressors including language barriers, immigration, and racism. Using a sample of 736 kinship caregivers (M age = 58.9, 89.8 % women) who participated in a statewide survey of kinship caregiver needs and navigator services in Washington State, this mixed method, exploratory study compares the challenges and unmet needs of Latine (n = 60) and non-Latine (n = 676) kinship caregivers and examines how kinship navigator programs address the unique needs of Latine kinship families. While bivariate analyses suggested Latine and non-Latine caregivers experience similar challenges and unmet needs, a series of linear and logistic regression models indicated that, compared to non-Latine caregivers, Latine caregivers (1) were more likely to report parent deportation as a circumstance leading to kinship care, (2) had lower annual incomes, (3) were more likely to report an unmet medical need for their child, and (4) had a greater number of children under age 18 living in their home, on average. A content analysis of two focus groups (total n = 7) consisting of Spanish-speaking, Latine kinship caregivers suggested that while navigator programs adeptly addressed their legal and mental health issues, these kinship families still experienced economic hardship and struggled to navigate immigration issues. Altogether, fndings highlight the need for services that accurately refect the unique challenges and needs experienced by Latine kinship families. 1. Introduction Kinship care is a fundamental pillar of the United States (U.S.) child welfare system. Defned as caregiving arrangement in which a relative or family friend assumes the primary care of a child, more than 2.5 million children in the U.S. are raised by non-parental relatives, with an estimated 45,000 living in Washington state (Annie E. Casey Founda- tion, 2022). Although most kinship families in the U.S. are unknown to the child welfare system (referred to as “informal kinship care”), approximately one in three children in foster care are placed with rel- atives (also known as “formal kinship care” or “kinship foster care”; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2021). The high prevalence of kinship care in the U.S. builds upon more than forty years of research documenting the numerous benefts associated with relative place- ments. Compared to their peers in non-relative foster care, children in kinship care tend to exhibit better health, mental health, and placement stability outcomes (Bramlett et al., 2017; Hong et al., 2011; Winokur et al., 2018). While some of these benefts may be linked to the selection bias inherent in kinship care (Barth, 2008; Ferraro et al., 2022; Font, 2015; Wu et al., 2015), other scholars contend kinship care promotes these outcomes through the preservation of familial connections, cul- ture, and community integrity (Barrio & Hughes, 2000; Jimenez, 2006; Winokur et al., 2018). Benefts to children notwithstanding, kinship families often experi- ence marked need. Kinship caregivers are more likely to live under the federal poverty line and experience food and job insecurity than * Corresponding author at: School of Social Welfare at the University of California, Berkeley, 120 Haviland Hall Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. E-mail address: anthonygomez@berkeley.edu (A. G´ omez). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Children and Youth Services Review journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107420 Received 18 October 2022; Received in revised form 18 December 2023; Accepted 23 December 2023