When a child enters into foster care, the state and community organizations work together to keep the child close to home. Kinship caregivers are aunts, uncles, grandparents and other extended family members and close friends who step up to take care of children temporarily when they are placed in care. They play a vital role in providing a safety net for vulnerable young Texans and keeping them within the family. Kinship caregivers care for children in the same manner as foster parents, but unless verified may not receive the same state reimbursement. Many face financial or resource challenges to bring kids into their home or go through the verification process which enables more long-term support.
Kinship caregivers represent 39% of care for children placed in the foster care system.
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (Texas DFPS), July 2021 update
We agree with our partners at Texas DFPS in stating that children placed in kinship care benefit by remaining connected to their birth families, family traditions, and overall stability and believe that it is especially important to remember these families when considering distributing resources and support.
Often overlooked, kin represent a significant portion of the caregivers supporting children in care, and sometimes with less support and resources. For this reason, the Texas Center for Child and Family Studies is launching a Kinship Care Fund to distribute needed financial assistance directly to kinship caregivers in Texas. This fund will be used to help meet financial and resource needs, and to help families overcome barriers to become verified homes in order to receive ongoing support. By supporting these Texans, we can take one step closer to keeping children close to home.
Contribute to our Kinship Care Fund here.