What is Kinship Care?

'Kinship care' refers to when a relative takes over as primary caregiver for a child. Some states have expanded 'kin' to include 'fictive kin' (people who are not directly related to the child, but are relationally close to them) when it comes to kinship caregiving through the child welfare system.

Wonder what unique challenges kinship caregivers face? Check out “What They’re Saying: Kinship Care Part 1”.

What can be done to support kinship caregivers?

The following list was created utilizing the recommendations from people who have lived experience with the foster care system. All recommendations below are focused on ensuring the successful placement of youth in kinship care.

  • Advocate for equitable, system level supports
    • This involves providing kinship caregivers with supports that help ensure a successful transition and placement

It’s important families come prepared for everything that is involved in kinship

-Stephanie Márquez-Villafañe, former youth in care

  • Help us meet our basic/practical needs
    • Help kinship caregivers access supports such as: Child care, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and more

Help families get universal income programs and quality health care and education.

-Birth Parent, NY

  • Connect us to support and advice
    • Help kinship caregivers connect to peer support groups and parenting classes, as well as community resource centers

Parenting classes, advocates, support services that we can call anonymously about questions, food support, job support, parenting groups for all genders and roles.

-Birth parent, AK

  • Provide resources
    • Help kinship caregivers connect to services and resources for their youth such as: Support groups, individual therapists, group therapists, community based activities and more

More training specific to attachment and trauma, a resource list of therapists that specialize in trauma and adoption in your area.

-Kinship caregiver, PA

  • Provide training on trauma and trauma informed parenting
    • Help kinship caregivers access and attend trainings on trauma and trauma informed parenting, so that they can better support youth in their care
    • Wondering where to start? Check out Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Resources on Trauma for Caregivers and Families

We need to be proactive in our approach rather than reactive…it would be ideal to have trauma education and support from the start.

-Trent Taylor, former youth in care

There are so many times where children go to a family member and the placement fails because the child might have behavioral issues. Well, if their relative had the proper training and support, they would be more equipped to handle escalations. They should be required to have trauma informed care training so they look beyond the behaviors, and teach them coping skills to teach the children

-Youth in/from care + kinship caregiver, TX

Quotes are from individuals with lived experience with the child welfare system and were sourced from: