About Kith And Kin Child Care

Kith and Kin Child Care (sometimes referred to as Relative Child Care or Care By Relatives) refers to an informal child care arrangement in which child care is provided by a friend or family member. Such care usually takes place in the child’s home or the home of the friend or family member. Such care arrangements are often exempt from state child care licensing.

Kith and kin child care may be done for free, or there may be a fee. Kith and kin care may be a short term arrangement (When mom starts a new job, three-year-old Jenna stays with a neighbor until a spot opens in a local center) or it may be a long term care situation (From infancy to the time he starts school, Sam stays with his grandparents while mom works).

The PDF below takes a look at kith and kin research. The document is from 2001, so it is dated, but the reality is that, like most types of child care, kith and kin care is under-researched. If you know of a more recent overview of this type of care that we should link to, please contact us.

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