Many caregivers look for clear, trustworthy resources to help them understand family dynamics, trauma, and the systems that may shape their caregiving experience. The books below offer practical guidance, real-life insight, and tools to support your role as a kinship caregiver. They are also helpful for relatives, family friends, and professionals who want to deepen their understanding of kinship care.
The Essential Guide to Kinship Care
By Sarah Naish and Enza Smith, MBE. Published 2025.
This guide is designed for kinship caregivers at any stage. It answers many common questions from both new and experienced caregivers, and you can jump in and out of sections whenever you need support. It offers clear, practical help on topics such as coping with grief, navigating substance use, understanding child abuse, and managing other difficult moments. It also explores challenges that may appear later in your caregiving journey.
Availability: Indigo and Amazon
Kinship Caring: A Complete Guide for Families
By Dr. Rachael King. Published in 2024.
This guide is written in a friendly, easy-to-read style and supports caregivers as they adjust to kinship care. It offers practical advice for grandparents, aunts and uncles, family friends, and others stepping into this role for the first time. While the content is UK-focused, many of the themes (building belonging, understanding support systems, and navigating complex family dynamics) offer valuable takeaways for kinship caregivers.
Dr. King is an educational and child psychologist with more than 20 years working with children and families in schools, community programs, and research in the UK.
Availability: Amazon
Inside Kinship Care: Understanding Family Dynamics and Providing Effective Support
By Bob Broad (foreword), David Pitcher (editor) et al. Published 2013.
If you are noticing tension at home, involving more family members in caregiving, or looking for ways to support children’s relationships, this book offers practical guidance. It provides an overview of key issues in kinship care and how to offer effective support. The book takes you inside the daily reality of kinship families and explores topics such as family dynamics, sibling relationships, and staying connected with birth parents. While it is UK-focused, it also includes examples from countries such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
Availability: Amazon
Kinship Care: Fostering Effective Family and Friends Placements
By Elaine Farmer and Sue Moyers. Published 2008.
This research-informed book looks at how kinship care compares to traditional foster care. It explores who is placed with relatives or close family friends, how children progress over time, and what supports help them thrive. It also examines how kinship care is experienced by children, caregivers, and social workers.
This guide is most useful for professionals, including social workers, policy makers and students, as well as caregivers who want to understand the broader system behind placement decisions. It offers clear information to help families and practitioners choose the right supports for children in care.
Available at Indigo and Amazon
