Kinship Care
What is Kinship Care?
Kinship Care refers to situations when a child is in out-of-home care (foster care) and placed with a kinship caregiver. The local department of social services maintains legal custody of the child while the child lives with the Kinship Caregiver who provides 24 hour care, 7 days per a week. The local department of social services provides reunification and case management services to the child, their parents or guardians, and their kinship caregivers.
Who is considered a Kinship Caregiver?
Kinship Caregivers are individuals who are at least 18 years old and with whom a child in care may be placed for temporary or long–term care; and is related to a child in care through blood or marriage, adoption, tribal law or custom, or cultural custom or practice; and If not related, have a strong familial or other significant bond to such child, or is a person identified by the child’s parent (also known as family by choice).
Do I Qualify as a Kinship Caregiver?
If a child or youth that you are related to by blood or marriage, adoption, tribal law or custom, or cultural custom or practice; and If not related, have a strong familial or other significant bond to have entered out-of-home care, please contact their Local Department of Social Services caseworker to determine if you meet the criteria to be a placement resource for the child or youth. If you are not a placement resource you can still continue to be a support in other ways to that child or youth.
What Benefits are Available?
- Monthly care stipend
- Respite Care
- Support from the Social Services Administration’s Office of Family Advocacy and Equity
- Support and trainings through the Maryland Resource Parent Association (MRPA) and Local Resource Parent Associations
- Access to support groups through MRPA and/or Local Department of Social Services
- Access to kin specific training through the National Training and Development Curriculum and the Child Welfare Academy
- Access to Local Department of Social Services’ sponsored events