No Halo News · Sourced development
Peer-reviewed statewide trial found Kinnect’s OhioKAN program improved several caregiver-support outcomes
A statewide cluster-randomized trial enrolled 1,728 kinship and adoptive caregivers across 10 Ohio regions to evaluate the Ohio Kinship and Adoption Navigator program, implemented by Kinnect. Compared with a minimal-intervention control group, participating caregivers reported better satisfaction with services, access to community resources and resourcefulness three months after intake. Six months after services, they reported fewer concrete needs and better caregiver-child relationships, while gains in resource accessibility and resourcefulness continued at 12 months. Effects were small but statistically significant. Researchers found no differences in child well-being, safety or permanency outcomes.
Status matters. This page records a sourced development, not a completed No Halo investigation. An allegation is not a finding. Dismissals, settlements, judgments, corrections and final outcomes remain distinct.
Donor relevance
Why this matters
Large randomized studies of kinship-navigation services are uncommon. The trial supplies comparatively strong evidence that structured navigation can improve caregivers’ ability to locate resources, meet family needs and strengthen relationships, while also showing where expected child outcomes were not demonstrated.
Attribution
Who reported or established this
The findings were reported by researchers Sarah Kaye, Lucia M. Reyes and Stephanie Hood in the Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work.
Evidence limits
What remains unverified
No Halo has not independently reproduced the trial or audited service delivery. The measured benefits were generally small, and the study did not find improved child safety, permanency or overall child well-being during the follow-up period.
Right of reply
Organization response
No specific Kinnect response to the peer-reviewed publication was located in the consulted material. Kinnect identifies OhioKAN as its program for connecting kinship and adoptive families with individualized services and resources.
Classification
How No Halo records this event
Event type: Independent Impact Evidence. Current state: Reported. No Halo preserves the current procedural state rather than treating every mention as a finding.
Published December 15, 2025 · Last verified September 16, 2026. See an error or a later outcome? Submit a correction or right of reply.