What is Kinship Care?
Kinship care is the full-time care, nurturing, and protection of children by their relatives, members of their tribes or clans, godparents, step-parents, or any adult who has a kinship bond with a child or teenager.
Kinship foster care is when a child/youth comes into foster care and is temporarily placed with a relative or kin. “Kin” can be related to the child/youth by birth or have a “family-like” relationship with them, such as a close friend of the family or the child/youth’s foster parent. Through kinship foster care, a child/youth can better maintain connections with family, making it the preferred resource when out-of-home placement is necessary.
Why is Kinship Foster Care Needed?
When children and teenagers need a safe place to call home temporarily or permanently, those who are closest to them can step in as kinship caregivers and make a world of difference. At-risk youth who can depend on family or close family friends in their time of need can successfully adapt to new home environments that maintain the sense of familiarity and stability they are accustomed to.
Kinship care is a positive way forward and provides some of the best possible outcomes for children and youth who are temporarily displaced due to unsafe living conditions. Staying with a family member or a close family friend can help ease the trauma associated with being removed from their homes. In some cases, kids are able to stay in their current schools and childhood neighborhoods as well as maintain connections with family and friends. Additionally, youth who are placed with those familiar to them are more likely to successfully adapt to their new homes whether the placements remain temporary or become permanent.
But Don’t I have to be Licensed to be a Kinship Caregiver?
With kinship care, licensing is not a requirement. It’s common practice for youth living in unsafe situations to temporarily stay with relatives or “kin.” Sometimes families can work out these arrangements on their own without involving the child welfare system. Other times, the system does get involved. It is important to note that kinship caregivers who choose to become licensed foster parents qualify for monthly financial assistance to help care for a child/youth. Additionally, licensed kinship caregivers may qualify for the Kinship Foster Care and Guardian Assistance Program (KinGAP). If there’s a strong possibility you may become a permanent caregiver for a child in need, licensing is recommended.
Unlicensed Kinship Care Payments
Effective July 8, 2024, eligibility criteria to the Unlicensed Kinship Care program was changed. Children and families must meet these criteria for the family to be eligible to receive payment as an unlicensed kinship care provider:
- Child(ren) must be in the custody of a local child welfare agency while receiving payments;
- County child welfare agency has completed and approved appropriate background checks and kinship care assessments at appropriate intervals.
- The County must have the Court sanction or authorize the placement. This can be done at the earliest court hearing or by consulting with the County legal staff to ensure this is completed at the appropriate time (please refer to N.C.G.S. 7B-505 for non-secure cases and N.C.G.S. 7B- 903 for adjudicated cases);
- Child(ren) must be related to the kinship care provider through blood, marriage, or adoption, providing foster care as defined under G.S. 131D- 10.2(9); and, if applicable, any half siblings of the child(ren) regardless of their relationship to the kinship care provider;
- Child(ren) must be between the ages of 0 and 17;
- The placement must be an unlicensed kinship care provider;
- The kinship provider must agree to receive payments by signing the DSS- 5802 (Unlicensed Kinship Payment Acknowledgement).
