April 2022Vol. 23, No. 3New Publication Explains Kinship Caregiving Options Inside and Outside Child Welfare
Kinship Caregiving Options: Considerations for Caregivers is a 14-page guide developed primarily for relatives caring for or planning to care for their kin, but it is also a useful tool for professionals working with these families. It begins with a brief overview of the need for and prevalence of kin caregiving in the United States and the importance and benefits of this practice.
- Help with decision-making about caregiving options
- Legal assistance
- Parental rights and responsibilities
- Relationship with birth parents
- Children's health-care consent authority and insurance
- Children's education
- Oversight from the child welfare and judicial systems
- Foster home licensure
- Sources and availability of assistance, including financial aid and child welfare agency and community-based supports
- Kinship navigator programs
- Federal and state child tax credits
- Long-term permanency options, including financial assistance and other supports and services