DHS celebrates National Kinship Month

September is National Kinship Month, a special time to honor and celebrate the amazing families and individuals who step in to care for children when their parents are unable to do so. These dedicated relatives and close family friends support children by ensuring they remain with people they love, in the communities they know. Throughout the month, we have been shining on the essential role of kinship care arrangements and extending vital assistance to kinship caregivers throughout our state.

When circumstances necessitate that children or youth can no longer remain under the care of a parent, placing them with a relative or trusted family friend, referred to as kinship caregivers, is the preferred option.

We recognize that caring for children is a huge undertaking, and DHS’ Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) is dedicated to enhancing the resources and services available to kinship families. This month, we have hosted informative webinars and an in-person Kinship Care Forum to assist and educate kinship families on the resources available to them. We’ve also provided toolkits containing household goods to kinship caregivers across the state.

If you didn’t have an opportunity to tune in to our first two webinars of the month, don’t miss the final one on Thursday, September 28, where Legacy Link will cover the importance of self-care. You can learn more or register for the webinar here: dhs.georgia.gov/events/2023-09-28/kinship-care-month-webinar-importance-self-care.