Kinship Foster Care
Serving Upstate NY, New York City, Pittsburgh, and Florida
What is Kinship Care?
Kinship care is a form of foster care that emphasizes keeping children and youth close to their families. Kinship caregivers include relatives, such as aunts, uncles, grandparents, siblings, extended family, or fictive kin (those known to the family). Kinship care has become an important alternative to out-of-home care. Kinship placements limit disruputions, maintain family connections and cultural traditions, and minimize the trauma of separation.
Prioritizing the placement of children and youth with kin can help transform the child welfare system into one that truly supports families. Kinship caregivers are provided extra support including caregiver training, finanical support, and 24/7 support from the Cayuga Centers treatment team.
Being a Kinship caregiver is a great opportunity to support a family member or youth in your community. In general, there are three different types of kinship care, each with different rules, regulations, and available support.
Types of Kinship Care
Informal Kinship
Informal kinship care is just that, an informal agreement between family members. Informal kinship care can occur with or without government or court participation. Sometimes a parent can voluntarily agree to have their child placed with a family member to avoid the child welfare agency forcing an involuntary placement.
Formal Kinship
Formal kinship, also known as kinship care, is when a child is taken into custody and placement decisions are made by the state. Then the child welfare agency places the child with a relative. In this scenario, the state has legal custody of the child while the relative has physical custody.
Fictive Kinship
Fictive kinship is defined as an individual who is not related by birth, adoption, or marriage to a child but has a significant emotional attachment and relationship. For example, it could be your best friend, who your children call “aunt” or “uncle.”
Explore Services
Learn more about Kinship Foster Care in Your State
New York Kinship Foster Care
Florida
Kinship Foster Care
Pennsylvania Kinship Foster Care
Do you have what it takes to be a foster parent? 🤔
Not every foster parent is the same—and that’s a good thing! Take our quick quiz to find out what your foster parent personality is, then head to our blog to explore how your unique strengths can make a difference.
Comment QUIZ and we`ll send the quiz straight to your inbox.
✨What result did you get? Drop it in the comments! ⬇️⬇️⬇️
#PersonalityQuiz #FosterCayugaCenters
May 10
Kids today are under so much pressure to fit in, to be liked, to get it all right. Social media, school, friends, it can all feel like there’s no room to mess up.
Let’s remind them: mistakes are part of growing. They don’t have to be perfect to be worthy. Every child deserves to feel safe enough to be real.
Let love, understanding, and compassion be louder than the pressure to perform.
#FosterCayugaCenters #FosterLove #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth
May 9
Children can carry more stress than we sometimes realize from school, peer pressure, trauma, and uncertainty. Rest is healing.
Let’s model healthy boundaries and remind children: they don’t need to earn rest, they deserve it.
Mental wellness starts with compassion, for them and for ourselves.
#FosterCayugaCenters #FosterLove #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth
May 8
Asking for help is a skill that kids need to develop. They are not born knowing how. Model it. Practice it together.
And when they do reach out, meet it with love, not correction. Early support can make a lifelong difference.
#FosterCayugaCenters #FosterLove #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth
May 7
Big emotions can feel overwhelming — especially for children still learning how to identify, name and manage them.
Let them know it’s okay to feel. And that you’re there to listen, not fix.
A simple “I’m here” goes a long way.
#FosterCayugaCenters #FosterLove #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth
May 6
Children’s mental health matters — this week and every week.
Did you know half of all mental health conditions begin by age 14?
We’re sharing 5 facts about the mental health crisis of children in foster care to help you better understand how to support the mental well-being of youth, especially those in crisis.
Take a minute to read. Reflect. Share. And, take a moment for yourself, too. Check in. Slow down. Your mental health matter too! Click the link in bio to visit Cayuga Corner for more self care ideas.
#FosterCayugaCenters #FosterLove #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth
May 5
💙✨ May the Fourth be with you! ✨💙
Fans of Star Wars know that Luke Skywalker was raised by his aunt and uncle and Leia was raised by family friends. In the foster care galaxy, this is known as kinship care. Kinship care is a form of foster care where children are raised by blood relatives or other adult that is close to the child but unrelated (known as fictive kin).
Today, we celebrate the unsung heroes in our own galaxy who open their homes and hearts to family. 💙
Tag someone who makes a difference in your world!
#maythefourth #fostercare #fostercayugacenters
May 4
We support foster care all year round, but this month, we join the nation in shining a bright light on our staff and foster parents who help us serve the youth in our care. We cannot express enough gratitude to our clinicians, case managers, and program coordinators as they serve on the frontlines of our programs. Our support teams are the backbone of our organization and work tirelessly to keep our operations running smoothly.
In addition to Foster Care Appreciation Month, May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. Our continuum of care model is built on the foundation of a deep belief in mental health support. Programs like Children and Family Treatment and Support Services (CFTSS), Home Health Care Management, our Youth and Family Resource Center, and Home and Community-Based Treatment and Support (HCBTS) services were designed with the idea that families who receive mental health services and support are more likely to avoid systems that split them apart.
The work that we do at Cayuga Centers is tough. The work that foster parents and all parents excel at daily is tough. This month it is so important that we take time and invest in our own mental health.
Happy Foster Care and Mental Health Awareness month!
May 1
The ultimate goal for young people in foster care is to keep families together, and unite those who have been divided when possible. Cayuga Centers is committed to supporting permanency plans for young people in our programs. A temporary stay is an essential step in providing a permanent home for youth in care. Visit the link in bio to learn more. #FosterCayugaCenters
Apr 29
