Kinship care has been making headlines in child welfare circles, and is becoming a more common option for children in congregate care. Kinship care refers to the placement of children with relatives, close family friends, or other known resources when they cannot safely remain with their birth parents. This form of care allows children to maintain their family bonds and some stability during a time that can often feel quite tumultuous. Traditional foster care, by contrast, places children in homes where they likely have no prior connection.
Both traditional foster care homes and kinship homes share the ultimate goal of ensuring a child’s safety and well-being. They are both trained and supervised through child welfare agencies and adhere to state regulations. The child’s placement then follows the same path as a foster care placement, including caseworker support and judicial proceedings.
Kinship care is a promising alternative to dwindling foster home numbers in recent years, as well as a response to a judicial push for maintaining familial connections within the foster care system. Some examples of kinship care include grandparents caring for their grandchildren, or an aunt or uncle who is able to care for their relative. These kinship relationships extend to family friends or other close connections who may serve as a resource for children.
Kinship families have a delicate balancing act of doing what’s in the best interest of the child while sometimes trying to maintaining a relationship with a family member or friend who is working on their own goals to regain custody of their child. KidsPeace caseworkers offer a great deal of support to families who may have little or no prior experience with county children and youth programs. They assist families in setting up medical appointments, completing paperwork, and providing information to many questions that arise during each case.
Recently, a teacher came forward to care for a student in her school who was in need of a home. As a first-grade teacher, she was made aware of a student who would be going into the foster care system and may not be returning to school. She didn’t want the child to experience going into the traditional foster care system, and so she offered her own home as a resource for the child in order for the child to retain some familiarity in her days. Placements such as this are becoming more common, and are certainly an asset to supporting a child’s feelings of stability and security.
