What is Kinship Care?
What is Kinship Care?
In New Jersey and across the country, many grandparents, relatives and family friends are providing care to children who are unable live with their birth parents. It is more common than you might think. When situations arise and a child can no longer safely reside with their birth parent/legal guardian, DYFS first looks for relatives and family friends who may be familiar to the child to provide care. Relatives and family friends are usually known to a child and can often help ease the trauma of separating from a birth parent by providing a safe, nurturing environment.
Before DYFS can place a child with a relative or family friend, the following must occur:
Within five business days of the child's placement, DYFS must work with a relative or family friend to obtain an application to become a licensed resource parent.
As of July 1, 2005, all relatives and family friends caring for a child under DYFS supervision are required by the State of New Jersey to be a licensed resource parent. By becoming a licensed resource parent, a relative or family friend will be eligible for a monthly board payment, a clothing allowance, health coverage for the child and other support services. Click HERE for more information.
Kinship Navigator
If you are a relative caring for
a child who was not placed through DYFS you may be eligible for financial
assistance through the Kinship Navigator
program administered by the Division of Family Development, Department of Human
Services. Click
HERE
for more information.
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KINSHIP CARE
1-877-816-3211
Are you a family member raising your relative's children?
You've come to the right place for help!
Kinship caregivers are special people who have taken on the responsibility of
caring for their relatives’ children. These children might be the caregiver’s
siblings, nieces, nephews, or, most often, grandchildren.
The Division of Family Development (DFD)
offers a variety of support services and financial aid to Kinship Caregivers.
Kinship caregivers may be eligible for monthly payments through the federal
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, and the children under
their care may be eligible for Medicaid health insurance.
ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE
TO CAREGIVERS:
KINSHIP NAVIGATOR PROGRAM
Trained "Navigators" in DFD are responsible for responding to calls received on the Kinship Care Hotline to help families navigate through various government networks to find supports and services.
In speaking with relative caregivers, the
Navigators assess the family's particular needs and help identify items or
services that are available and arrange for the necessary items or services to
be provided. For example, short-term assistance such as a mortgage or rent
payment, clothing, moving costs, or legal fees may be provided. The Navigators
monitor each family's request and follow up to make sure the appropriate
services are received.
If financial assistance is needed, the Navigators will help the family apply for
financial benefits.
Support Services, available through numerous government
and private agencies, include for example
--help with paying child care
--referrals to grandparenting and family support groups
--help with getting medical coverage and services
--assistance with child support collection
--housing assistance
--help with paying for legal services/fees
--help to pay for furniture (for example, a bed, a computer, computer supplies
for the
child)
--tutoring services for the children in your care
--help with paying for summer camp for the child
--financial services
In addition, the
Navigators help administer support programs created specifically for kinship
caregivers, including cash assistance, child care subsidies and wraparound
services.
KINSHIP CARE - CHILD CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAM
This program
helps Kinship Caregivers with paying for child care. Financial eligibility
depends on the caregiver's age, household size and the total income of the
family unit.
See our
fact sheet on the Child Care Subsidy Program.
To apply for the Kinship Child Care Subsidy, contact your local
Child Care Resource and Referral Agency (CCR&R).
KINSHIP CARE - WRAPAROUND PROGRAM
The Wraparound Program helps
caregivers obtain essential services or items they need that are not available
through existing programs.
For example:
See our
fact sheet on Wraparound Services
KINSHIP
LEGAL GUARDIANSHIP PROGRAM
This service
assists caregivers in obtaining legal status for the child/children in their
care. For more information, call the toll-free Kinship Care Hotline at
1-877-816-3211.
Note: The Kinship Navigator program administered by DFD serves children who have no involvement with the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS); DYFS also has a Kinship program.