What is Kinship Care?

Kinship is the care for children by relatives or those like relatives due to the disruption of care with their parents. Kinship care offers the child impacted by the separation an opportunity to remain connected to their community and family.

When children are in need of stability while their parents receive support, living with someone with a connection to the child helps promote the child’s sense of identity, their self-esteem, and supports their connections to their culture and community.

Watch the Kinship Care Video Series:

• Kinship: A Pathway to Permanency

• Kinship: Caregiver Experience

• Kinship: Resource Family Approval Process

Kinship Benefits:

Children in Kinship Care have shown improved mental health, positive behavioral development, and more stability than children in non-kinship placements. Benefits include: 

• Feelings of belonging
• Improved mental health
• Fewer behavioral problems
• Better social outcomes
• Improved educational outcomes
• Increased stability
• Preservation of cultural ties and values