      |
|
Kinship Care/Guardianship
If you are looking for other grandparents raising grandchildren to talk to, try the GrandsPlace Chat Room. Chatting is easy and free, and you will be conversing with friendly and loving people who understand.
Grandparent’s and Other Relative Caregiver’s Guides
The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) has created four helpful guides, written specifically for kinship caregivers, to answer their questions about important issues affecting the children in their care. COCAF strongly recommends these guides to both kinship families and professionals. These guides offer information on federal programs (e.g. Medicaid, TANF), eligibility requirements, and how to enroll the children they are raising. The four guides are:
The guides can be downloaded directly from the CDF web site at: Kinship
Guides,
Or ordered by calling 202.662.3568, or by writing to:
Children’s Defense Fund
Child Welfare and Mental Health Division
25 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Kinship Care Fact Sheet
The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), in collaboration with 8 other resource organizations, have developed state Kinship Care Fact Sheets that contain information on kinship resources, services, and benefit program; state foster care policy regarding kinship families; and state kinship care laws.
Information for Professionals and Advocates Supporting Kinship Families
According to the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), “One in 12 American children is living in a household headed by a grandparent or other relative [2000 Census data]. In many of these homes, grandparents and other relatives have become the primary caregivers, or kinship caregivers, for children whose parents cannot or will not care for them due to substance abuse, illness, child abuse and neglect, economic hardship, incarceration, divorce, domestic violence, and other serious problems.
In providing a vital safety net for children, grandparents and other relative caregivers often face serious challenges as they try to find health care or child care for the children they are raising, apply for public benefits, enroll the children in school, and address their basic needs…
Despite the enormous challenges they face, kinship caregivers understandably may be afraid to ask strangers for the help they need because they are embarrassed about their family situations or are afraid that their children will be taken away from them. Grandparents and other relative caregivers may be much more likely to reach out to local churches, community centers, and other trusted organizations…”
The CDF has compiled an excellent set of resources for advocates, professionals, and faith-based organizations to support kinship caregivers, including their Kinship Care Resource Kit, and information on subsidized guardianship programs, at CDF Kinship Care.
Colorado Kinship Care Resource Guide
The Colorado Kinship Care Resource Guide is an outstanding resource for all of Colorado's kinship caregivers. Topics included in the guide include: public benefits/assistance, legal options and terminology, foster care and adoption, educational access, medical and mental health services, childcare, interacting with incarcerated parents, support groups, and phone numbers to call or where you can go for help.
Colorado
Kinship Care Resource Guide (doc)
Colorado
Kinship Care Resource Guide (PDF) - This document can also be
downloaded from the Colorado
Department of Human Services web site.
Additional Information
For links to sites with additional information on this topic, please see the Kinship Care links section.
Page Last Updated: March 28, 2005
