New Research Grants Support Caregivers and Families Across Maine

The University of Maine Center on Aging is contributing to two new grant-funded research initiatives focused on strengthening support systems for family caregivers, older adults, and kinship families. Both projects involve Dr. Jennifer Crittenden, Associate Professor of Social Work and the Center on Aging’s Associate Director for Research, and bring together researchers and community partners to address important challenges facing caregivers.

Strengthening Support for Kinship Families

A new three-year grant from the Children’s Bureau brings together the UMaine Center on Aging, the School of Social Work, and Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine (AFFM) to strengthen evidence-based support for kinship families.

Led by co-principal investigators Dr. Tzu-Hsin Huang, Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work, and Dr. Jennifer Crittenden, the project will evaluate AFFM’s Enhanced Kinship Navigation Model.

Kinship families, including grandparents and other relatives raising children, provide essential care and stability. Through this research, the team will examine child and family outcomes to help establish Maine’s kinship navigator program as a nationally recognized, evidence-based model through the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse.

Exploring Volunteerism Among Family Caregivers

Dr. Jennifer Crittenden is also partnering with Dr. Sol Baik of the University of Virginia on a three-year study funded by AmeriCorps to explore how family caregivers of older adults engage in and benefit from volunteerism.

Although nearly one-quarter of caregivers participate in formal volunteering, organizations often lack strategies to recruit, support, and retain individuals balancing volunteer activities with caregiving responsibilities.

The research team will analyze national caregiver data and gather insights from caregiver and volunteer networks to better understand these challenges.

Findings will inform the development of a Caregiver-Friendly Volunteer Management Framework, providing organizations with practical tools to support caregiver volunteers and strengthen civic engagement.

Advancing Research Through Collaboration

Together, these projects reflect the Center on Aging’s commitment to interdisciplinary research and community partnerships. By examining the needs of kinship families and family caregivers, researchers aim to develop evidence-based approaches that strengthen support systems and improve outcomes for individuals and families.