Kinship Care Portal

Welcome to the Kinship Care Portal, Georgia's one-stop shop for information, resources and support for kinship caregivers. 

Kinship care refers to a temporary or permanent arrangement in which a relative or any non-relative adult who has a long-standing relationship or bond with the child and/or family has taken over the full-time, substitute care of a child whose parents are unable or unwilling to do so.

Kinship care includes those relationships established through an informal arrangement, legal custody, guardianship order, a relative foster care placement or kinship adoption. 

Need further assistance? Fill out a referral form!

Complete a complaint form if you need further assistance with locating a child in foster care, a payment dispute, or SNAP/TANF/Medicaid denial.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is hosting four webinars for kinship caregivers. These webinars will cover topics on child safety, the legal system, and advocacy. Join us every Thursday in Sept. from 6-7 p.m. You can join the webinars using the links below. No registration is required.  

• Sept. 3 – Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Presents Keeping Children Safe in a Digital World  
• Sept. 10 – Georgia Department of Public Health Presents Child Passenger Safety and Car Seat Basics  
• Sept. 17 – Kinship Legal Matters: A Panel Discussion with DFCS, Legal Aids, and Judges 
• Sept. 24 – Generational United Presents Advocacy 101 

September is National Kinship Care Month, a time to celebrate our kinship caregivers and their dedication to providing love, stability, and care for children and youth in foster care. During National Kinship Care Month, the Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) is holding a Wear Yellow Day, promoting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s kinship webinars, and hosting the 2026 Virtual Kinship Caregiver of the Year Awards. More information about these opportunities can be found below.  

DFCS is hosting the 2026 Virtual Kinship Caregiver of the Year Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2026. During this event DFCS will celebrate all kinship caregivers and recognize the 2026 Kinship Caregivers of the Year from each of DFCS’s 14 regions. Click here to join the live event. Registration is not required.  

The Division of Aging Services (DAS) provides supportive services to grandparents and relative caregivers of any age, throughout each 12 regional Area Agencies on Aging. Click here to find your nearest AAA.

Programs include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), child support, relative care subsidy, Right from the Start Medicaid, and many more. Click here to learn more.

The Relative Caregiver Hotline / Georgia Senior Legal Hotline of the Atlanta Legal Aid Society provides advice, brief services and referrals on issues such as custody, adoption, public benefits and housing. Contact the Georgia Legal Services Program at 800-745-5717.

A number of health and wellness services are available through state agencies to support kinship families in achieving the healthiest lifestyle possible.

The Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program helps low-income families in Georgia pay for early childhood and school age care programs. The CAPS program subsidizes the cost of child care for eligible children age birth to age 13, or up to age 18 if the child has special needs. Learn more about the CAPS program here.