Foster care can be confusing and intimidating for everyone involved. Researching and following federal and state-by-state rules and regulations or understanding the many program requirements, legal steps, and funding options can be time-consuming and daunting. To complicate things, there are different rules and regulations for the various kinds of foster care placements, including kinship care. But don’t let that stop you – there may be a child who truly needs you.
First, what is foster care?
At its core, foster care is a temporary situation where a child has been removed from their home by the state because their parents cannot take care of them.
The number of children in need is high. According to the recent AFCARS report, over 606,000 foster children were served in 2021. In stark contrast, the Imprint Youth and Family News states there are only 208,823 licensed and registered foster homes to accommodate these children. As a result, many youth are forced into a group home, residential facility, or a setting we know is not as healthy and safe as a home-like environment.
What is kinship care?
In general, there are three different types of kinship care, each with different rules, regulations, and available support.
Informal kinship
Informal kinship care is just that, an informal agreement between family members. According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, 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 placed by the state first. 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.”
Each state has different kinship custody definitions and criteria, so research your specific state’s info and resources on a reputable website.
A personal perspective on kinship care.
Gabriella is a devoted big sister who intervened when the adoption world failed her much younger siblings. The minute she found out her sisters, ages 8 and 12, had to be removed from their adoptive family, she reached out to Cayuga Centers to start having overnight visits and begin the process of becoming their kinship caregiver.
Being a foster parent to her sisters came easily as they quickly fell into a rhythm of a tight-knit family who enjoys playing games and taking lots of family vacations. Gabriella’s support from Cayuga Centers has given her the parenting skills to be more confident, and the therapy the family receives is invaluable.
For Gabriella, it was just “the right thing to do.”
The benefits of kinship care.
There are regulatory differences between traditional foster care and kinship care. A guardian does not need to be licensed to care for their kin. If you have an informal agreement with your relative, that agreement is often sufficient as long as the child’s needs are being met. However, this often poses financial hardships for relatives such as grandparents who are usually retired and rely on their social security checks to pay the bills.
Financial disparity can often be the most tangible difference. If you find yourself providing kinship care, consider going through your state’s formal foster parent licensing process. In most cases, being a licensed foster care parent gives you access to more financial assistance from the state, including SNAP (food stamps), Medicaid, GAP program, or other possible government benefits. Licensing also provides essential parenting skills training for children who may have experienced trauma.
For example, when working with Cayuga Centers, a foster guardian will have access to a variety of services and support, including a clinician to talk through emotional needs, a case manager to get community resources and parent support groups, to name a few.
Emotional support can be the most significant difference between traditional foster care and kinship care. A child placed with a family or fictive kin member generally thrives in the short and long term. The youth typically enjoy more stability. They can adjust much quicker to their new environment as it’s a familiar one. Related to these factors, foster children in kinship care often have fewer issues at school and reduced behavioral problems giving them the foundation for an easier transition into adulthood.
If you know a friend or family member child in need, contact Cayuga Centers for more information and resources on beginning the kinship care process.
