Caregivers’ Perspectives of the Florida Guardianship Assistance Program and Its Impact on the Children in Their Care

This mixed methods study examined kinship caregivers’ perspectives of the Florida Guardianship Assistance Program (GAP) to understand how the program initially supported the needs of the child, caregiver, and family as they navigate permanent guardianship. Specifically, this study examined caregivers’ knowledge of the GAP; decision to apply for the GAP; perceptions of the GAP from families who had successfully closed cases to permanent guardianship; perceptions of the GAP from families who held active cases and had not yet closed to permanent guardianship; and perceptions of how children were adjusting in their home, comparing licensed and non-licensed foster care homes. Findings indicate that 47% of respondents first heard about the GAP when the child was initially placed with them, while 16% had never heard of the GAP until receiving the survey letter for this evaluation. The majority (56%) of those who had heard about the GAP were first told about it by the child’s caseworker. Among respondents who both knew about the GAP and who indicated whether or not they pursued GAP, 87% decided to apply for the GAP, and 90% of those who applied for licensing were eligible. Of those caregivers whose children’s cases had closed to permanent guardianship, the majority (63%) indicated that the licensing process was very easy or somewhat easy. Overall, the majority of caregivers indicated that the children were doing better since being initially placed in their care, but caregivers who were not licensed reported a slightly higher percentage of children who were doing worse.