By Michelle Prego-Milewski, Marketing Specialist at Cayuga Centers
Oftentimes, when someone who hasn’t had any experience with foster care thinks about a child who is in the foster care system, they think of a youth who is put in the care of strangers. But did you know that many, many youth are also placed with their kin (blood relatives)? The foster care system is changing to broaden the definition of kinship care to include more than just family members. Read on to discover examples of kinship care in the foster care system today.
Going back decades, writers of books, television, and film have used the story of children in foster care as a plot device – sometimes without us even realizing it. In the 70s, Luke and Leia of the popular Star Wars movies were sent to live with friends of their parents after Padme passes away. Spider-Man lives with his aunt and uncle after the deaths of his parents. In the series My Life with the Walter Boys, Jackie lives with her mom’s best friend after her parents die in a car accident.
These are all examples of kinship foster care. Traditionally, kinship care has been limited to family members of the child who was removed, but is expanding to include non-relatives who are close to the child. This is called fictive kinship.
What is fictive kinship care?
Fictive kinship is a type of kinship care where an unrelated adult who is known to a child cares for them. Instead of grandparents or aunts and uncles, a fictive kin caregiver can be a coach, mentor, and family friend, among others, creating a “chosen family” for the child.
How does a child benefit from kinship care?
According to a 2008 study, children who were placed in kinship care were more likely to have stable placements and less likely to have behavioral problems than children in traditional foster care. They are also more likely to keep in contact with their siblings, have a stronger cultural identity, and successfully transition to adulthood.
This is important, as children who age out of foster care without finding permanency (reunification, guardianship, and/or adoption) often face an uncertain future. Twenty percent of these youth become homeless almost immediately, and 25% are involved in the criminal justice system within two years.
The recent push to include fictive kin caregivers has resulted in the opportunity for better outcomes, allowing more chances for a child to be placed with someone they know and opening up more resources for the families that take them in.
Do you know a child in kinship care?
Chances are, you do! Kinship care is all around us, whether we realize it or not. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, there are 2.5 million kids in all types of kinship care. That’s 3% of all children in the United States.
Think about your neighbors, extended family and co-workers. There may be a kinship case that you don’t even think about because it’s someone that you see every day. Do you know a grandparent raising their grandchild, or an uncle that is housing his niece and nephew while his sibling is struggling?
What about your neighbor who took in her son’s best friend? Your daughter’s teacher that is raising a former student, or a coach who is housing a former athlete?
All of these are examples of kinship care that we meet and interact with in our everyday lives and may not recognize as forms of foster care.
Real-life examples of fictive kinship care
Eric, a Cayuga Centers foster parent, began his fostering journey after he met a child in his neighborhood who was in foster care. Eric had known the child for two years when he found out that the foster family was moving and could no longer foster. Eric felt he had to act so the child did not feel abandoned.
Jen is a Cayuga Centers foster parent who works in law enforcement. Through her job, she began working with the human trafficking coalition and saw the need for foster homes. After a case with a young girl was closed, Jen was asked to foster her. She accepted but didn’t stop there. For the past several years, she has been fostering sibling sets with her partner Jay.
How can you help kids in foster care?
The answer is simple: be open. Unexpected turns happen in all of our lives. If you know a youth who is at risk of entering or has entered the foster care system, ask yourself if you would ever consider fostering them. Or, ask yourself who you would want to take care of your child in a crisis. With any luck, you won’t be in either of those situations, but you still can help. You can share social media posts, donate, or, of course, become a foster parent.
