What is Kinship Care in Maryland?

Kinship care means a child is cared for by a kinship caregiver. A kinship caregiver is a person related by blood or marriage, adoption, tribal law or custom, or cultural custom or practice; or an unrelated adult with a strong familial or other significant bond, or someone identified by the child’s parent. Under Maryland law a kinship caregiver is a trusted adult with a strong, significant bond to the child allowing the child to remain connected to their family, culture, and community.

There are two types of kinship care:

Kinship Care	Informal Kinship Care
When a child needs out-of-home care and placement with kin is in the child’s best interests.The child is placed with a Maryland Department of Social Services-licensed kinship caregiver. This is also called out-of-home care or foster care.	When a Maryand Department of Social Services is not involved and a child is living with a relative or familiar adult as arranged by the child’s family. This frequently occurs when there is a serious family hardship. This is also called family arrangement.

Kinship Care

Informal Kinship Care

When a child needs out-of-home care and placement with kin is in the child’s best interests.The child is placed with a Maryland Department of Social Services-licensed kinship caregiver.

This is also called out-of-home care or foster care.

When a Maryand Department of Social Services is not involved and a child is living with a relative or familiar adult as arranged by the child’s family. This frequently occurs when there is a serious family hardship.

This is also called family arrangement.

Why We Value Kinship Caregivers: Because Family Matters.

We know that children and youth do best with their families. When relatives or chosen family step in and receive the support they need, children experience more stability, less trauma, and stronger ties to their families, cultures, and communities. It takes a village and Maryland’s kin-first culture helps that village show up.

Kinship care, where children are raised by relatives, either blood or chosen family provides stability, minimizes trauma, and preserves family connections.

Research consistently shows that children in kinship care experience better outcomes including:

Improved Well-being and Greater Stability:

Kinship placements disrupt children less and result in fewer changes in living situations, which support healthier mental and emotional development.
Reduced Trauma:

Living with kin preserves bonds to family, history, culture, and routines. Such continuity and connections minimize the emotional trauma of being removed from their home.
Preservation of Cultural Identity:

Kinship care helps children maintain their cultural identity by keeping them connected to their traditions, language, and community.
Focus on Reunification:

Kinship caregivers help children maintain safe and consistent contact with their parents. By facilitating reunification with parents, kin caregivers play a vital role in supporting family progress and connections.
Higher Likelihood of Permanency:

Children in kinship care are more likely to achieve permanency through reunification, adoption or guardianship, ensuring a long-term, stable home.

Maryland is Kin First!

We prioritize kin as caregivers for children and youth in out-of-home care. We assist kinship caregivers caring for children in out-of-home care by providing financial, concrete and emotional support just as in resource homes or foster homes.

What are the benefits of Kinship Care?

Research shows that when children are placed with kin they:

Have better connection to family
Experience less trauma
Feel a sense of safety
Feel like they belong
Feel connected to their culture
Have better mental health outcomes
Are in a more stable placement because children are less likely to need to be moved to another home

Out-Of-Home Care