Finding and Providing Support for Kinship Caregivers

The following resources provide information on supporting and meeting the needs of kinship caregivers as they navigate the caregiving process and/or plan for adoption. The resources include State and local examples.

Grandparents Raising Children Support Group
Daily Strength (2019)
Provides access to a support group for grandparents raising their grandchildren or other family members. Kinship caregivers can find support, share their experiences, and get advice from other members.

Kinship Caregiver Support Programs
The California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (2017)
Lists evidence-based programs that support the needs of kinship caregivers. The programs have been reviewed by the clearinghouse and rated using a scientific rating scale. They include services such as placement stabilization, caregiver support, and postpermanency services.

Kinship Guardian Assistance Program (KinGAP) (PDF - 287 KB) 
Virginia Poverty Law Center and Voices for Virginia's Children (2018) 
Discusses the KinGAP program in Virginia and the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 and how it gives States flexibility to amend their Title IV-E plans to allow Federal funds to be used to support kinship caregivers. 

Kinship/Relative Adoption Support
Adoption.com (2019)
Lists kinship/relative adoption-related forums where kinship caregivers can discuss issues and receive support from other kinship families who have similar experiences.

National Family Caregiver Support Program
Grandfamilies.org (2019)
Explains the National Family Caregiver Support Program and lists provisions of the law and how it provides services to caregivers in the areas of information, assistance, counseling, support groups, trainings, respite care, and more.

A Place to Call Home: Building Affordable Housing for Grandfamilies 
Generations United (2019) 
Highlights housing solutions and recommendations to help support grandparents who are raising children. The resource also includes links to an infographic, a podcast, a photo album, and more. 

Support Matters: Lessons From the Field on Services for Adoptive, Foster, and Kinship Care Families (PDF - 2,222 KB)
AdoptUSKids (2015)
Reviews the importance of family support services in adoption, foster care, and kinship care and provides information on support services in these areas.

Supporting Kinship Caregivers
National Conference of State Legislatures (2017)
Explores support for relative caregivers of children in the areas of medical consent and school enrollment, relative notification, and subsidized guardianship. The resource also lists State legislative enactments from 2012 to 2016 supporting relatives, kinship care providers, and grandparents.

Using Kinship Navigators to Assess the Needs of Kinship Caregivers (PDF - 233 KB)
Sutphin (2015)
GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice, and Policy, 2(1)
Describes a kinship navigator program for kin caregivers involved in the child welfare system and explains supports that kinship caregivers need to be successful.

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State and local examples

Arizona Children’s Association
Provides services to kin caregivers in Arizona to increase the safety, permanency, and well-being of youth in formal and informal kinship care.

Child, Youth, and Family Services
North Oklahoma County Mental Health Center
Offers home-based care coordination service in Oklahoma to kinship foster families.

Children's Home Network Kinship System of Care
Connects kinship families in Florida to services and support systems to increase family stability.

Edgewood’s Kinship Support Network (KSN) Program
Explains a peer network in California that offers a diverse range of support groups, including a Spanish-language kinship caregiver support group and a quilting circle support group.

Foster Kinship
Connects kinship caregivers in Nevada to financial resources, educational information, and legal help.

GrandFacts: State Fact Sheets for Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children
Grandfamilies.org (2019)
Provides 52 State-specific factsheets, including information on kinship caregiver data, State programs and local resources, public benefits, educational assistance, legal information, and State laws. National information and resources for Washington, DC, are also included.

Kinship Care
Public Children Services Association of Ohio (2019)
Describes resources for kinship caregivers in Ohio and includes a section on support for kinship families that lists additional support resources.

Kinship Center
Describes a nonprofit agency in California dedicated to the creation, preservation, and support of foster, adoptive, and relative families. The website includes information on kinship adoption services, events, and online classes.

Kinship Support Services
Olive Crest (2019)
Lists support services available to kinship caregivers in the Orange County, CA, area including support groups and workshops, case management services, and mentors.

New York State Kinship Navigator Program
Provides services to increase the capacity of kinship caregivers in New York. Services include financial assistance, legal information, referrals to community services, and a help line.

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