“Sometimes you need a middleman”: Negotiating Family Engagement for Foster and Kinship Caregivers Involved with Child Welfare

Family engagement is increasingly prioritized in child welfare policy and practice, yet limited research has explored how foster and kinship caregivers perceive and navigate this process. Understanding caregivers’ experiences is critical to advancing relational permanency and improving outcomes for children in foster care. Using an adapted grounded theory design, this qualitative study examined the experiences of 24 foster and kinship caregivers from two agencies participating in a family engagement practice model in one state. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, and were analyzed thematically. All participants provided informed consent, data were de-identified, and pseudonyms were assigned to transcripts to protect participants’ confidentiality. Findings revealed a central theme, the caregivers’ need for a “middleman” to facilitate engagement, and three major themes: (1) countering negative messaging and systemic barriers, including biases toward families; (2) negotiating engagement through setting boundaries, building trust, and facilitating dialogue; and (3) partnering with families to support child well-being, often requiring ongoing support and adaptation. Differences between kinship and non-relative caregivers emerged, highlighting the need for tailored approaches. This study addresses a critical gap in the literature by centering family engagement processes, an area often examined from the viewpoint of professionals. Caregivers play a pivotal yet under-recognized role in family engagement. Providing structured facilitation, clear role guidance, and relational support may strengthen caregiver-family partnerships and address system-level barriers. Findings offer actionable insights to inform training, practice, and policy improvements that advance family engagement in child welfare.