DHS celebrates caregivers during Kinship Care Awareness Month

September is Kinship Care Awareness Month, a 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. 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. 

These dedicated relatives and close family friends support children by ensuring they remain with people they love, and in the communities they know. Throughout the month, DFCS has extended assistance and support to our kinship caregivers through webinars, toolkit giveaways, and Kinship Caregiver Celebrations statewide. 

We recognize that caring for children is a huge undertaking, and DHS’ Division of Family & Children Services is dedicated to enhancing the resources and services available to kinship families, This month, in partnership with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, DFCS hosted four informative webinars to educate kinship families on the topics of mental health, self-care, setting family boundaries, the legal system, and implementing caregiver plans. Over 130 kinship caregivers joined us for these webinars.

DFCS also hosted 28 toolkit giveaways in various counties throughout the state. At these giveaways, our kinship caregivers received toolkits with a variety of necessary household items. During these toolkit giveaways DFCS served 550 kinship caregivers. DFCS also held five Kinship Caregiver Celebrations throughout the state to provide resources and networking opportunities for our kinship caregivers. DFCS was able to serve over 200 kinship caregivers during these events. 

DHS is incredibly grateful for the dedication displayed by our kinship caregivers. Our state could not thrive without their partnership and commitment to help keep Georgia’s children and families safe. 

For more information about kinship care, or to explore resources and support for kinship caregivers, visit our Kinship Care Portal at dhs.georgia.gov/organization/about/kinship.