Supporting Families that Support Their Kin: An RCT Evaluation of Tennessee's Relative Caregiver Program - The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Social Work Office of Research and Public Service (SWORPS), in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS), proposes a three-year statewide initiative to strengthen and rigorously evaluate Tennessee’s Relative Caregiver Program (RCP) as a Kinship Navigator Program. Seven RCP providers currently serve all 95 counties and, in Spring 2026, maintained an active caseload exceeding 5,800 caregivers and children. Approximately 900 children were on the waiting list. During Months 1–6, SWORPS and DCS will convene the Children’s Bureau, its Evaluation Technical Assistance provider, RCP providers, caregivers, youth raised in kinship care, and other partners to refine the program and evaluation. The Planning Team will revise, as necessary, the existing RCP Guide and obtain Children’s Bureau approval before enrollment. Consistent with section 427(a)(1) and ACYF-CB-PI-18-11, the model will coordinate agencies and referral systems; incorporate caregiver and youth consultation; connect families to training, legal assistance, benefits, and other resources; conduct outreach; and strengthen public-private partnerships. Services will include family assessment, individualized navigation and referrals, monthly contact, quarterly plan updates, and need-responsive financial or material support delivered in person, virtually, or through a hybrid approach. After federal approval, a statewide family-level randomized controlled trial will compare immediate access to RCP services and a state-funded stipend with delayed access under existing capacity constraints. Delayed-access families will retain their queue position and access to legally required services and benefits, emergency assistance, and community supports. The principal question is whether immediate access improves child safety and permanency and child and caregiver well-being during the initial 12 months of service; secondary questions address service access, referrals, and program satisfaction. DCS administrative records and caregiver surveys common to both conditions will provide impact measures. An implementation study, supplemented by eight caregiver focus groups, will examine reach, fidelity, dosage, provider variation, facilitators, barriers, and adaptations. A cost study will estimate costs per family and child, variation by service intensity, and relevant comparisons with foster-care costs. The project will use de-identified administrative, provider, survey, qualitative, and cost data; prespecified analyses; data-quality review; and continuous quality improvement. Products will include an approved evaluation protocol, revised RCP Guide, standardized provider and data systems, semiannual reports, and a final report suitable for Children’s Bureau review and potential submission to the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse.
