Kinship Navigator: An Assessment of Service Utilization, Satisfaction and Caregiver Wellbeing in Washington State

This study assessed the effectiveness of Washington State’s kinship navigator to (1) increase service utilization, (2) promote caregiver satisfaction and (3) increase caregiver wellbeing. Using propensity-score matching, kinship caregivers who received enhanced case management kinship navigator services were matched to a comparison group of kinship caregivers who received services as usual (information and referral only) in their communities. The matched sample showed strong baseline equivalence on caregiver age, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Caregivers who received enhanced case management services experienced greater rates of well-being and greater service utilization in key service and benefit areas (i.e., support groups and child-only TANF). There was no effect observed related to caregiver satisfaction.