Not all parents are able to give the love and care that their children need to thrive.
When children are unable to stay with their parents, there are options out there to make sure that they get the caring and loving space that they deserve.
Foster care, for example, matches children in need to a loving family.
But what if children could stay with members of their own family?
This is what kinship care provides.
Let’s talk about what kinship care is, how it works, and some other important information on how it can help children thrive.
Kinship care places children in the care of their relatives when their parents cannot give the care and love they need.
This could be any close relative — for example, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or other extended family members. They step in to become primary caregivers for the child.
Although kinship care keeps a child with their family, it's not always an informal process. The legal system and courts often come into play to figure out custody, looking into the life of the kinship caregiver and protecting a child's best interests.
Once these issues are figured out, a child in need is placed with the kinship caregiver, either on a short-term or long-term basis, depending on the parents’ situation.
Kinship care isn’t a new idea — in fact, it has been practiced for centuries.
Indigenous cultures, in particular, have always tried to keep family bonds and cultural connections. In these societies, extended family members often rallied to provide care when parents were unable to.
In recent history, kinship care has become more formalized and gained momentum. It is now seen as a true alternative to foster care, celebrating the idea of keeping family ties during a child's early years.
Both kinship care and foster care provide children with safe and nurturing spaces when their parents can’t take care of them.
However, there are some differences between them.
Kinship care is rooted in family ties — children are placed with relatives who may already be known to them, which can make things easier during these traumatic times.
Even if the relatives aren’t as well-known, family connections can help a child's sense of identity and security.
In the case of informal kinship care, which leaves the parental rights with the parents themselves, the legal aspects are generally less complex than those of foster care. However, formal kinship care still involves the courts.
Foster care, on the other hand, involves licensed caregivers who may initially be strangers to the child. Foster parents often attend pre service sessions to learn more about how to be a foster parent, go through evaluations, and are matched based on fit with a child in care.
Being different from traditional foster care, kinship care provides many benefits to children in need.
Here are four of the most important ones:
Kinship care does come with a few challenges — however, as long as you know what to expect, you can go through the process as easily as possible.
Thankfully, there are many support options and resources that kinship care providers can use.
Legal help is important for navigating custody and guardianship issues, ensuring that the child's best interests are looked after.
There are also financial aid options — these can help cover some of the costs of caring for the child, easing the financial burden on caregivers. Some of these can be found from the government.
For children going through trauma, support groups and services provide emotional support, helping children with challenges they’re going through.
Kinship caregivers can also access community programs and organizations that are dedicated to providing help, guidance, and a sense of community to kinship families.
As a provider of foster care services, kinship care is one of our specialties — Mentor Foster Care, a part of Sevita’s companies, supports children and families.
Discover how Mentor Foster Care makes kinship care as easy as possible.