Kinship Family Foster Care
What is Kinship Family Foster Care & how does it differ from the Family Foster, Special Medical, & Treatment programs?
Sometimes children need to be placed in the care of kin because they cannot stay home with their parents. Kin caregivers may be a relative, friend of the family or a community member who has a significant and positive relationship with the child. Because of concerns about the child’s safety, the child’s kin may be asked to provide a temporary home for the child that is safe, stable, and nurturing. When the local child welfare officials decide to remove a child from the home, they must notify relatives of the removal and consider their ability to care for the child. In some cases, a court may also order them to notify suitable persons identified by a parent. Kin caregivers will either be certified or approved as a foster parent depending on their relationship to the child. They will receive foster care payments and other supports from the City.
Kin caregivers may have a very limited time period to decide whether to become a foster parent. They should ask the caseworker how much time there is to decide, and ask anything they need to know to help make a decision.
Who is it for & why is it needed?
Kin caregivers are needed for any child placed in foster care placement. Kin caregivers are typically identified as the most preferred, stable family based foster care option for children in out-of-home placement. Kinship care minimizes trauma, improves well being, increases permanency, promotes sibling ties, improves behavioral health and mental health outcomes and preserves identity for children and youth.
Who typically makes a good foster parent for a child in Kinship care?
Relatives of the child or individuals with prior significant relationships to the child or family are eligible to be foster parents for kinship care. Kinship caregivers demonstrate and provide a caring, nurturing and loving home for their relative children and demonstrate understanding and compassion for children who have experienced some trauma in their lives and are willing to help them heal and grow in a loving home.
The kinship caregiver is someone who has the space in their home and the time to dedicate to the family members that have come into foster care.
How does Kinship Foster Care fit into the CGS & the NYC ecosystem of care?
As a Kin first agency, Catholic Guardian Services has been very inviting to Kinship Family Foster Care for many years. Children that come into care and are placed with Kinship or fictive kin typically do better than being placed in a non-kinship home. The child’s trauma is minimized because they are comfortable with family. The overall permanency of families in kinship or fictive kinship placement is higher.
CGS works to support all children in foster care and their biological families so that they can eventually reunite with one another. As an agency that strives to provide help, create hope and preserve dignity, CGS offers opportunities for kinship caregivers to provide a safe, loving and stable home for their relatives as a component of our services on behalf of the children and families we serve.
How many children are currently in CGS Kinship Care?
Currently there are 200 children in CGS kinship foster care.
Can a child in Kinship Foster Care be adopted?
As any other child coming into the foster care system, children in kinship care may become available for adoption if their biological parents or persons legally responsible for the child are unable or unwilling to provide permanency for the child in care. Under those circumstances, a permanency plan is developed in collaboration between the foster care agency and Family Court System to determine the most appropriate legal permanency option for the child. In some instances, adoption by the kinship caregiver is determined to be the appropriate plan for the child. In other instances, KinGAP may be a better option.
What is KinGAP?
The Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) is a legal permanency option for children in foster care that provides a payment and other benefits to support the care of a child through guardianship.
In this option, kinship caregivers must have already been, for at least six months, a fully approved or fully certified foster parent of the child. In addition, the first permanency hearing in Family Court must have occurred, and if the child came into foster care due to having been abused or neglected, the fact-finding hearing must have been completed. There are other requirements that must also be met, including a determination by ACS that being returned home and adoption are not appropriate permanency options for the child. For more information, see the publication Know Your Permanency Options: The Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP). View publication here
What kind of training and support do foster parents receive for a child in KinshipFoster Care?
Kinship caregivers must attend a 15 hour pre-certification course entitled Mini MAPP (Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting) or a pre-certification course entitled Caring For Our Own. Subsequent to the initial training, kinship caregivers are offered regular training and support on a regular basis, as well as support from caseworkers, mental health providers and regular financial support to care for the children in their home.
Where do the children in need of Kinship Foster Care come from ?
Children in need of kinship foster care placement are referred to Catholic Guardian Services by the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) Visit the ACS website here
