A Statewide Cluster Randomized Trial to Test the Impact of the Ohio Kinship and Adoption Navigator (OhioKAN) Program on Caregiver and Child Outcomes

Purpose: This study tested the effectiveness of a new kinship and adoption navigator program. Materials and Methods: Prior to implementation, 10 regions of a state were randomized to an intervention group or minimal intervention control group. Kinship and adoptive caregivers seeking program services were assigned to the intervention or control group based on the region in which they lived. Eligible caregivers were enrolled in the effectiveness trial and completed a survey at baseline (n = 1,728), 3 months after their intake (81% retention), and 6 and 12 months after the end of the intervention (78% and 76% retention from baseline respectively). Results: Multi-level regressions showed that relative to the control group (n = 828), caregivers in the intervention group (n = 900) reported higher levels of satisfaction with the program’s services, accessibility of community resources, and resourcefulness to meet their children’s needs three months after intake. Six months after the end of services, the intervention group reported lower levels of concrete needs and better caregiver–child relationships. Favorable effects for accessibility of community resources and resourcefulness were sustained 12 months after the end of services. Effect sizes were small (g =.08 to g =.23) but statistically significant (p <.05). There were no differences in child well-being, safety nor permanency outcomes. Discussion: Findings contribute to the limited knowledge of navigator programs with positive effects on proximal caregiver well-being outcomes for a broad population of informal kinship, formal kinship, and adoptive families.