The policy implications of welfare reform for older caregivers, kinship care, and family configuration

Although welfare reform will largely impact the lives of children living in single-parent households, a growing number of children residing with relatives may also be affected. This paper offers an overview of welfare reform legislation in California and provides data on the size and characteristics of older adult households on AFDC in that state. The implications of the new law for relative caregivers both within and outside of the welfare and child welfare systems are discussed and a call for close attention to this vulnerable population is suggested.