Resources for Kinship Caregivers: Guides and Handbooks

This section offers examples of guides and handbooks for grandparents and other relatives who are caring for children. The guides and handbooks provide information pertaining to financial assistance, legal assistance, health care, child care, finding support groups, trauma-informed parenting, and more. State and local examples are also listed.

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
HelpGuide.org (2019)
Provides information for grandparents and other relative caregivers in kinship care, including information on feelings, self-care, support, focusing on creating a stable environment, communication, parental visits, and more.

Kinship Caregivers and the Child Welfare System

Series Title	Factsheets for Families
Author(s)	Child Welfare Information Gateway
Availability	View Download (PDF - 575KB) Order (Free)
Disponibilidad	Ver Versión para imprimir (PDF - 717KB) Ordene (Gratis)
Year Published	2016

Discusses issues of interest to the growing number of grandparents and other relatives caring for children whose own parents are unable to care for them. Sometimes, the arrangement (referred to as "kinship care") is an informal, private arrangement between the parents and relative caregivers; in other situations, the local child welfare agency is involved. This factsheet is designed to help kinship caregivers--including grandparents, aunts and uncles, other relatives, and family friends caring for children--work effectively with the child welfare system. Resources, such as links to more detailed information or places to find help, are included.

Kinship Guardianship as a Permanency Option

Series Title	State Statutes
Author(s)	Child Welfare Information Gateway
Availability	View Download (PDF - 1,710KB)
Year Published	2019

Reviews State laws and policies that allow a family member or other person with close ties to a child who has been placed in out-of-home care to become that's child's permanent guardian. Guardianship has emerged as a permanency option for a child who has been placed in out-of-home care as it creates a legal relationship between a child and caregiver that is intended to be permanent and self-sustaining and can provide a permanent family for the child without the necessity of terminating the parents' parental rights. A guardian's rights and duties, approving a guardianship home, modifying or revoking a guardianship, and kinship guardianship assistance are among the issues addressed. Summaries of relevant laws for all States and U.S. territories are included.

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.

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State and local examples

GrandFacts: State Fact Sheets for Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children
Grandfamilies.org (2019)
Offers 52 updated, State-specific GrandFacts Fact Sheets, which contain information on State data, State programs and resources available to kinship families, public benefits, educational assistance, legal relationship options, and State laws.

A Guide to Kinship Care (PDF - 3,195 KB)
Franklin County Children Services (2015)
Describes kinship care in Franklin County, OH, and presents resources for relative caregivers on financial assistance, Medicaid, child support, after-school care, licensing, and permanency incentives.

Handbook for Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children (PDF - 5,755 KB)
San Diego County Board of Supervisors (2015)
Defines the status and role of relative caregivers in California. This resource also points to available resources to help relatives raising children in their care.

Kinship Caregivers Guide: A Guide for Adults Who Are Caring for the Children of Relatives or Family Friends (PDF - 1,250 KB)
Agency of Human Services, Department for Children and Families (2017)
Outlines kinship care in Vermont and provides information on topics such as how kinship care happens, kinship care arrangements in Vermont, help with basic needs, and more. The guide highlights resources related to child care, child development, economic assistance, education, and support groups for relative caregivers.

Ohio Resource Guide for Relatives Caring for Children (PDF - 1,802 KB)
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (2019)
Helps kinship caregivers in Ohio find assistance with issues like expenses, medical services, education, legal services, and more. The guide discusses the role of a public children services agency, common signs of physical abuse, and practical suggestions for navigating public programs and resources.

Resource Parent Handbook: A Guide for Foster and Kinship Caregivers (PDF - 3,008 KB)
Philadelphia Department of Human Services (2015)
Outlines foster care and kinship caregiving in Philadelphia, PA, and gives information and resources that can provide assistance and support to caregivers. The publication includes a section on frequently asked questions, information on reaching permanency for youth, and information on the Philadelphia child welfare system.

Services to Kinship Caregivers Resource Guide (PDF - 634 KB)
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (2017)
Provides information on services available for kinship caregivers in Texas and reviews legal information, caregiver evaluations, caregiver training, financial and other assistance, licensing, and more.

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