DHS celebrates Kinship Care Month with webinars, toolkits

September is National Kinship Care Month – a month when we celebrate the amazing families and individuals who care for children when parents are unable. These relatives and close family friends support children by ensuring they remain with people they love and in communities they know. This month, we highlight the role of kinship care arrangements in the child welfare system and provide critical support to kinship caregivers.  

When a child or young person can no longer remain in the care of a parent, placement with a relative or close family friend — referred to as kinship caregivers — is the preferred option.

Caring for children is a huge undertaking and cannot be done alone.

The Division of Family & Children Services continues to develop various partnerships and tools that improve how kinship families access services and resources they’re eligible for. This month, amid the pandemic, we’re bringing back the Kinship Caregiver Toolkits full of personal protective equipment and other household goodies, as well as webinars each Thursday specifically designed with Kinship Caregivers in mind.

Don’t miss these informative sessions:

• Sept. 2, 2021 | Mental Health and COVID
• Sept. 9, 2021 | The Importance of Self-Care When Serving as a Kinship Caregiver
• Sept. 16, 2021 | Navigating the Courts: A Panel Discussion with Juvenile Court Judge(s), Probate Court Judge(s), and Legal Aid
• Sept. 23, 2021 | Setting Family Boundaries - A Conversation for Kin Caregivers
• Sept. 30, 2021 | Prepare to Care: Resources and Services for Caregivers

Kinship families can register for a toolkit now by clicking here.

For any questions about National Kinship Care Month, email: [email protected]