Arizona kinship foster care ... program report

              2002 Report on Kinship Care
and Kinship Foster Care
The Arizona Department of Economic Security
According to Census
2000 Data:
Nationally:
5.6 million children in the US
are being raised in Grandparent
Headed Households. This
reflects an increase of 29.7%
since 1990. (AARP/US Census Bureau)
2,350,477 Grandparents are
responsible for their own
grandchildren under 18 years.
889,415 Are Grandfathers.
1,461,062 Are Grandmothers.
1,717,620 Grandparents raising
grandchildren are married.
632,857 Grandparents raising
grandchildren are unmarried.
(GrandsPlace/US Census Bureau)
There are eight times more
children in grandparent-headed
homes than in the foster care
system. (AARP)
In Arizona:
96,062 children are living in
Grandparent Headed Households
which is a 73.8% increase since
1990. (US Census Bureau)
Background
More and more relatives, in particular grandparents, from all
socio-economic and ethnic groups are becoming primary
caregivers for their kin. Often times, the relatives are
unprepared and ill-equipped to assume the new responsibilities.
This experience in Arizona prompted representatives from the
Arizona Legislature and the Department to examine this issue
in more depth.
As a result, Arizona enacted House Bill 2400 and Senate Bill
1290 (Laws 2000, Chapters 183 & 285) effective August 18,
2000, which created two programs to provide support services
to relative caregivers: 1) Kinship Care, and 2) Kinship Foster
Care. The Department of Economic Security (DES) was
charged with implementing the legislation, using the following
guidelines:
• Establish two pilot sites by January 1, 2001 (page 4).
• Establish Kinship Foster Care Services for individuals
who are relative caregivers of children in Child Protective
Services (CPS) custody (page 6).
• Streamline, expedite and coordinate existing services and
referrals for Kinship Services (page 8).
• Enable families to support relative children (page 8).
• Adopt program rules to prescribe application and eligibility
requirements that provide an expedited process for kinship
care families to receive child-only TANF Cash Assistance
eligibility (page 9).
• Preserve families (page 9).
• Use existing measures for outreach and marketing to
facilitate community awareness of the pilot programs
(page 10).
• Help meet the protection, developmental, cultural and
permanency needs of children (page 12).
At the same time, the Arizona Legislature strengthened
resource options for Kinship Care, by also enacting Senate Bill
1286 (Laws 2000, Chapter 312) effective August 18, 2000.
This law authorized the Department to transfer child support
rights and disbursement of child support payments to
temporary caretakers and specifies the procedures to do so.
Page 1
Challenges faced by Kinship Families
Based on input from kinship caregivers and community partners
some of the identified challenges are:
• Investigating and resolving legal questions
about custody, guardianship, or adoption.
For example, kinship caregivers may not have the
legal ability to enroll their relative child in school
or make medical decisions for them.
• Making appropriate financial decisions that may
affect a caregiver’s employment status, or
applying for benefits like Medicaid, Foster Care,
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
(TANF), or Social Security.
• Providing for personal health needs. The stress
of caring for young children along with their
own health difficulties can be overwhelming for
many older kinship caregivers.
• Accommodating children in their current
residence due to the lack of warning or
preparation prior to taking on the role of
caregiver.
• Choosing appropriate child care, including
daycare, after-school programs, and respite
care.
• Providing adequate medical care, including
behavioral health services, and getting
insurance coverage through private
insurance.
• Providing emotional support for their
children and finding support for themselves.
Page 2
Those who care for others
can do a better job if they
pay close attention to their
own needs as well.
Why are so many children living with their relatives?
According to the AARP Grandparent Information Center
(GIC) the reasons are as follow:
• The relatives are responding to a problem in the
middle (parent) generation, such as death of the parent,
unemployment, illness, divorce, immaturity, teen
pregnancy, incarceration of the parent, parental
substance abuse, child abuse and/or neglect.
• The relatives are motivated by the love they feel for
their family and step in to fill a gap created by the
problem.
What is the Need?
Despite the common stereotype of
the single, African American
grandmother raising her
grandchildren in the inner city, the
phenomenon transcends all
socioeconomic groups, geographic
areas, and ethnicity. (Generations United)
Page 3
Kinship Care
Kinship Care provides supports for relatives who
have taken on the voluntary role of parenting a relative
child without CPS or juvenile court involvement.
Many families have, thus, voluntarily taken on this
responsibility at great personal expense. Kinship
caregivers may apply for financial assistance for their
relative children through the Family Assistance
Administration.
DES also crafted a comprehensive Kinship Care plan to
guide and support Arizona’s Kinship Caregivers.
Kinship Care Definition:
An adult relative who is acting in the
role of a parent for a child
Kinship Care Guiding Principles
The following guiding principles were established by DES as provided
in the DES Comprehensive Plan for Kinship Care (11/30/2000):
• Services and supports must be family-focused and child centered.
• Services and supports must be culturally sensitive.
• Services and supports must be provided in partnership with families and with the best
interest of the child being the foundation for action.
• This partnership must include all agencies that would be or could be involved with the
child and family with a shared focus on securing permanency for the child.
• Services and supports must be provided in a manner that values and respects family
caregivers.
• Services and supports offered by charitable, private and faith-based communities are
invaluable resources that should be utilized in the family.
• Services and supports must be provided in a fair and equitable manner.
• Services and supports must be provided in a manner that will assist relative caregivers,
staff and families to appreciate the importance of permanenc y in the life of a child.
• Services and supports that are available to biological parents should also be available to
relative caregivers.
In an effort to support these principles, DES has established an internal workgroup with
representation from the Family Assistance Administration, Child Protective Services, Aging and
Adult Administration, Child Care Administration, Office of Intergovernmental Operations and the
Division of Child Support Enforcement to address issues as they arise and ensure that these
principles are being followed.
Page 4
Phoenix Pilot Office
The DES office located at 4635 S. Central,
Phoenix was designated as the first pilot
office:
This office is a multi-service center and houses
the Family Assistance, Child Care, Job Service,
Jobs programs, and Child Protective Services.
Adult Protective Services also serves this office
but is not housed at this location.
Staff from this office work together with
community advocates to deliver services for
Kinship Caregivers in the South Phoenix area.
Staff from this office also attend monthly
grandparent support groups to answer questions
and assist with issue resolution.
Tucson Pilot Office
The DES Office located at 195 W. Irvington,
Tucson was designated as the second pilot
office:
This office is a multi-service center and houses
the Family Assistance, Child Care, Vocational
Rehabilitation, Job Service and Jobs programs.
Child Protective Services and Adult Protective
Services also serve this office but are not located
at this site.
Staff from this office have been working closely
with community advocates who come to the
office on a regular basis to assist Kinship
Caregivers in applying for assistance. This office
has also participated in local Town Hall meetings
sponsored by the Grandparents Raising
Grandchildren Southern Arizona Coalition.
Kinship Cases Phoenix Pilot Office
143
148 146
150
157 155 158
165 165 165
130
140
150
160
170
Jan-
01
Feb-
01
Mar-
01
Apr-
01
May-
01
Jun-
01
Jul-
01
Aug-
01
Sep-
01
Oct-
01
Kinship Cases Tucson Pilot Office
147 147 150 153 154 156 159 164 168 182
0
50
100
150
200
Jan-
01
Feb-
01
Mar-
01
Apr-
01
May-
01
Jun-
01
Jul-
01
Aug-
01
Sep-
01
Oct-
01
Establishing and Training the two Kinship Care Pilot Offices:
On January 1, 2001 two Family Assistance Local Offices began operations as Kinship Care Pilot
Sites. Prior to January 1, 2001, staff from five major program areas of the Department (Family
Assistance Administration, Child Protective Services, Aging & Adult, Child Care and Child
Support Enforcement) delivered training to the pilot offices staff. The training focused on the
concept of Kinship Care and the purpose of linking the broad array of services within the
Department to benefit Kinship families.
Following the implementation of the revised policy, the Family Assistance Administration
continued to conduct training for all Eligibility Interviewers across the state to ensure that all
offices, although not a part of the pilot project, implemented the revised policy.
Ages of Kinship Children Receiving Benefits
34
68 87
38
6
65 61
232
5
85
41
258
0
100
200
300
<1 1-4 5-9 10-14 15-17 TOTAL
Phoenix Tucson
.
Age of Kinship Caregivers
1 0 7 7 28 32 28
137
233
50
259
20 28
154
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
18-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45-64 65+ TOTAL
Phoenix Tucson
Sex of Kinship Caregivers
29 18
204
241
0
100
200
300
Phoenix Tucson
Male Female
Pilot Offices Demographic Data
The ages of children in Kinship Care who are
receiving TANF child-only cash assistance
within the two offices of this pilot evaluation
are reflective of the national statistics which
indicate that the majority of children in
Kinship Care are of school age.
The Kinship Caregivers ages range
from 18 to over 65 with the majority
of caregivers being between the ages
of 45 and 64 which is actually
younger than the national average of
55 to 64.
While there are some men acting in the
role of a parent in the two pilot sites,
the majority are women and statistics
show that they are more likely to be a
grandmother or an aunt.
The ethnicity of the Kinship Caregivers
in the two pilot sites is predominantly
Hispanic which is indicative of the
population surrounding the pilot
offices.
Page 5
Ethnicity of Caregivers
36
118
40
0 0
48
16
162
20
1 1
27
0
50
100
150
200
Caucasian African
American
Hispanic American
Indian
Asian Other
Phoenix Tucson
Kinship Foster Care
Kinship Foster Care provides for relatives as the first placement
preference for children in CPS custody requiring out-of-home
care. Kinship Foster Care families are informed of financial
options and non-financial services available to them such as
denial of placement grievance procedures, and expedited
procedures for Kinship Foster Care applications for TANF child-only
cash assistance for the foster children.
There are two forms of Kinship Foster Care:
Licensed Foster Care is when a child is placed with a relative
who becomes licensed as a foster care provider.
Unlicensed Foster Care is when a child is placed with a relative
with court approval and the relative does not wish to be a
licensed foster care provider.
The majority of grandparents raising
grandchildren are between the ages of
55 and 64; approximately 20% to 25%
are over 65. (AARP)
Services available to Kinship Foster
caregivers:
• Case Management Services include regular contact with the
kinship foster family to assess and identify problems and
develop solutions.
• Family Assessment is provided by CPS to determine the
caregiver’s ability to meet the child’s health and safety needs
and to determine the suitability of all family members for this
role.
• Health care coverage for children in Kinship Foster Care.
• Parent Aide Services are offered through contracted and state
employed parent aides who provide training in “family life
skills”, transportation and supervised visitation.
• Parent Skills Training/Classes may be accessed to enhance and
update parenting knowledge and skills.
• Referral to Mental Health Programs and Supportive Intervention
services.
• Respite Care is available for 144 hours per child per state fiscal
year for children in both kinship and non-kinship licensed foster
homes.
• Transportation Services to access medical services and other
services for a child.
• Childcare.
• Referrals to interdepartmental programs such as the Division of
Developmental Disabilities, Vocational Rehabilitation, Job
Service Programs, and community resources.
Cost of Services
The cost for services paid on
behalf of the children in Kinship
Foster Care between 10/01/2000
and 9/30/01 was :
$1,123,088
Examples of the types of services
provided to the children include:
• Special payments and allowances
such as emergency clothing,
books/education, supplemental
school tuition, graduation and camp
fees
• Monthly clothing and personal
allowances per child
• Foster care maintenance payments
(for licensed Kinship Foster
Caregivers)
• Counseling and psychological
services
• Family Support Services: parent
aide and parenting skills training
• Transportation
• Costs associated with locating
potential kin caregivers
Page 6
Demographic Data of Children in
Kinship Foster Care
The number of children placed in Kinship
Foster Care:
1,519 children were in Kinship Foster Care as of
9/30/01.
The number of families served through Kinship
Foster care:
952 families were being served through Kinship
Foster Care as of 9/30/01.
The length of time these children have been in
care:
30 days or less - 4%
31 days to 12 months - 47%
13 to 24 months - 23%
Over 24 months - 26%
Profile of a Kinship Foster Caregiver:
Relationship to the Child:
43% Grandparents
1% Great Grandparents
28% Aunt or Uncle
14% Other Specified Relative
4% Other Unspecified Relatives
10% Other not specified
Marital Status of Kinship Caregiver:
54% Married
31% Single
3% Widowed
8% Divorced
4% Other
Type of Kinship Foster Caregiver
12% are licensed and care for 12% of the
children in Kinship Foster Care
88% are unlicensed and are caring for 88% of
the children in Kinship Foster Care
Where our Kinship Foster Caregivers Reside:
46% live in Maricopa County
31% live in Pima County
15% live in the remaining counties of AZ
8% live in other states or countries
As of 9/30/01, there were 6,121 children
in out-of-home care. Of the 6,121
children, 3,997 were in family foster care
including non-relative foster homes and
licensed and unlicensed Kinship Foster
Care homes. Of the 3,997 children in
family foster care, 1,547 children were in
Kinship Foster Care and 2,450 in non-relative
foster homes.
Page 7
Ages of Children in Family Foster Care
39%
24%
1%
15% 16%
6%
1%
23%
16%
21%
33%
7%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
<1 1 to 5 6 to 9 10 to 12 13 to 17 18 +
Relative Caregiver Non-relative Caregiver
Ethnicity of Foster Caregivers
1% 2%
7%
36%
43%
12%
1% 2%
6%
28%
49%
15%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Caucasian African
American
Hispanic American
Indian
Asian Other
Relative Caregiver Non-relative Caregiver
Streamline, expedite and coordinate existing
services and referrals for Kinship Services
Upon the signing of House Bill 2400 and Senate Bill 1290,
the Family Assistance Administration (FAA) reviewed the
existing TANF Cash Assistance policies and procedures and
determined that the immediate implementation of this legislation
was possible. The Department determined that the major
priority was to streamline and expedite access to TANF Cash
Assistance benefits. It was further determined that the approval
timeframe for a “child-only” case should be shortened from 45
days to 20 days and that the requirement for a face-to-face
interview was a true barrier to services. A request was
forwarded to the Department of Health and Human Services for
a waiver of the face-to-face requirement which was approved on
August 18, 2000, and became part of the TANF Cash Assistance
State Plan. Policy was changed and eligibility interviewers
statewide were trained for immediate implementation.
CPS and FAA established policy and procedures to expedite
kinship foster caregivers with TANF child-only cash assistance
benefits. This includes acceptance of the court order and
signature of the CPS case managers as proof of the relationship.
The case manager is responsible for faxing the application
directly to an FAA local office. The application process can be
completed by telephone; no office appointment is required with
the kinship caregiver.
Trainings Conducted:
CPS provided training to
approximately 595 CPS Case
Managers, Supervisors and
Managers.
FAA conducted statewide
policy training on kinship
related policy changes.
Kinship Programmatic
Training sessions were
conducted for all staff in the
two pilot offices prior to
January 1, 2001.
Additional trainings were
conducted for staff in a second
Phoenix office (within 1.5
miles of the Phoenix pilot
office) and for all Flagstaff
office staff.
Trainings were also conducted
for Tucson community
advocates who assist kin in
completing the application
process.
Page 8
Kinship Care and Kinship Foster Care
Legislative Provisions Addressed:
Enable families to support
relative children
Easy access to financial assistance, medical coverage and
child care better enable families to support relative children.
However, in addressing the many barriers faced by Kinship
Caregivers, it is important to note that these services alone are
not sufficient to truly “enable families to support relative
children”.
Preserve families
In an effort to preserve families, the Department has devoted
resources to training staff to assist Kinship caregivers in their
application for TANF Cash Assistance and informing them of
referrals for other DES program services. Other services
explored are child care, in- home services for the elderly,
Social Security benefits, Women, Infants and Children
Supplemental Food Program (WIC), veterans’ benefits, school
lunch program and referrals to community agencies for
assistance with clothing, shelter costs, dependent care costs
and medical needs, etc.
Kinship Care eligibility is completed by all workers in the
local FAA offices. The interviews are conducted by phone, in
the office or through a home visit at the request of the
caregiver, and are given priority to the first available worker.
Cooperation with Child Support Enforcement is a requirement
of the TANF Cash Assistance program, including Kinship
Foster Care and Kinship Care. “Good Cause” for not
cooperating is explored with any applicant who indicates that
they or the child would be in danger if they provided this
information.
The Department has participated in Grandparent Universities,
Town Hall meetings and is also collaborating with community
partners in identifying additional needs and services
throughout the community to address some of the barriers
faced by kin.
Adopt rules to prescribe application and eligibility
requirements that provide an expedited process
for kinship care families to receive child-onlyTANF
cash assistance
On August 18, 2000, the Department received approval from
the Department of Health and Human Services to waive the
requirement for a face-to- face interview for Child-only TANF
Cash Assistance applicants.
The Department is currently in the process of revising the
TANF Administrative Rules to reflect this and other
modifications.
Being a grandparent is
a role most adults look
forward to with great
excitement! We look
forward to spoiling our
grandchildren, sharing
time and special
moments with them;
however, many
grandparents find
themselves in the
primary caregiver role
as a parent assuming
parenting
responsibilities.
(Generations United)
Page 9
Use existing measures for Outreach and
Marketing to facilitate community awareness of
the pilot program
Flyers promoting the Kinship Care Program’s availability have
been distributed to staff to display at community agencies, in the
lobby of each pilot office, and to post in interviewers’ cubicles.
Resource Directories
• A resource directory was developed for each pilot office. The
directory includes names and phone numbers of local
community resources and is available in each pilot office to be
distributed to all Kinship Care applicants.
• The Grandparents Guide and Caregiver’s Guide have been
developed through a contract with the Beatitudes Center for
Developing Older Adult Resources and are available at no cost
through Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Arizona.
• The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Task Force, Pima
Chapter, has developed a resource manual for grandparents, with
links to agencies that provide Kinship Care throughout Pima
County. The manual also provides grandparents with resources
for self-care, legal and financial matters, childcare, school
support, and parenting tips.
The majority of relative
caregivers are
grandparents. However,
there are an additional
22% of relative
caregivers who are
aunts, uncles, siblings or
other relations which are
not captured in the 2000
census data.
(Brookdale Foundation)
Page 10
Family Caregiver Support Program
A new program was recently developed as a result of the
Older American Act Amendments of 2000, to provide
support services to family caregivers. The law permits
up to 10% of the funds for the National Family
Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) to be allocated for
Kinship Caregivers.
The family caregiver is required to be age 60 or older
and be the primary caretaker of the child, in order to
participate in the program. Funds for the NFCSP have
been distributed to the eight Area Agencies on Aging
(AAA) within Arizona.
Each AAA determines how much of the federal dollars, if any, will be allocated for programs
serving grandparents or other relatives over age 60 raising a family member under age 19.
The DES Aging and Adult Administration website is currently being developed to include
information on the NFCSP. This will include information on various organizations involved in
the implementation of kinship care support groups. In addition, there will be links to national and
local websites on the topic of kinship care.
DES’ Efforts to Address the Needs of Kinship Caregivers
Page 11
A primary focus of DES is timely
intervention to preserve families or
working toward the reunification of
parents with their children
whenever possible. (DES Staff)
KIN-Nections Project
The Division of Children Youth and Families
(DCYF) is a participant in the KIN-nections
Project. The goal of this project is to improve
permanency outcomes for children within their
extended families.
The Project is operated in collaboration with the
Arizona’s Children Association and Casey Family
Programs under a federal grant.
The Aging & Adult Administration is working to
meet the needs of Kinship Caregivers
The DES Aging and Adult Administration (A&AA) received a seed gr ant from the
Brookdale Foundation Group to implement the Relatives as Parents Program Statewide
Initiative (RAPP). The goal of the two -year grant is to:
ØDevelop five new support groups under the sponsorship of local agencies in different
parts of the state.
ØDevelop a statewide network of local organizations to raise awareness of relative
caregivers�� needs and serve as a focal point for information on current programs,
policies and resources.
ØConvene an inter-system task force of state agencies and statewide organizations to
facilitate service delivery of coordinated systems that support the needs of relative
caregivers and the children in their care.
Grandparents’ Concerns Task Force
The Aging & Adult Administration is a member of the Grandparents’ Concerns Task Force
(GCTF), which is sponsored by the Governor's Advisory Council on Aging. The GCTF
membership is comprised of individuals, private and public agencies, and organizations
statewide. GCTF’s main objective is to increase community awareness of the special
problems faced by grandparents who are primary caregivers to their grandchildren, and to
collaborate with state and community agencies to expand services to grandparent caregivers
and their families. The GCTF meets monthly to focus on resource updates, receive local
expert presentations, and develop a list of recommendations to provide support with the goal
of keeping families together.
Help meet the Protection, Developmental,
Cultural and Permanency Needs of children
Page 12
Ensuring a child retains a
connection to his or her
culture is often a significant
factor in relatives taking on
the responsibility for
raising a relative child
DES is Working in Partnership with Community
Advocates
The Department is committed to ensuring that the safety and
protection of children are its highest priorities.
The common image of a family is that of a father, mother, and a
child or children. But in today’s world, that picture doesn’t always
reflect reality. An estimated 42,000 Arizona children are currently
living solely with grandparents.
The best way to help meet the protection, developmental, cultural
and permanency needs of these children is to provide ongoing
assistance to kinship caregivers as they raise their relative children.
Department staff are working with community partners to assist the
caregiver in accessing support services, encouraging self-care, and
connecting them to support groups. These families may also be
referred for services provided through the DES Family Advocacy
Office.
Community partnerships have created easy access to financial
assistance, medical coverage and child care to better enable
families to support relative children. The Department and
community partners have created additional support services for
Kinship Caregivers.
Support Services for Kinship Caregivers
The two largest Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) regions are in Maricopa and Pima counties.
Both regions have developed innovative ideas to promote additional support services to kinship
caregivers as follows:
Therapeutic Support Group - In Maricopa County, a therapeutic/support group meets one
Saturday morning each month. In addition to the one-hour support group meeting for the
grandparent, a certified child and family counselor provides therapeutic group activities for the
children. This is a three-hour program intended to give respite to the grandparent. Plans are
underway for a second therapeutic/support group in the west valley.
Page 13
unique model. Cases are never totally closed, so that caregivers can utilize the Center as
needed-- sometimes intensively, through short or long-term case management, and sometimes
with support services like self-help groups, after school services and outings for children and
youth, or maybe just a food box from time to time.
The K.A.R.E. Center has ten staff, with three of these positions occupied by caregivers.
Arizona’s Children Association (AzCA) and Casey Family Programs, Tucson Division, are the
lead collaborators. Pima Council on Aging, the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
and DES are key partners. The Family Assistance Administration provides itinerant services to
complete application interviews for TANF child-only cash assistance benefits. Both Child
Protective Services, and the Pima County Juvenile Court have been active supporters and
currently provide joint bi-monthly training. Members of the Pima County Bar Foundation are
working with the Center to provide access to legal assistance and information.
It is expected that peer-based support and the participatory structure of the Center will enhance
the health and well being of caregivers and their families, who are leery and even fearful of
traditional “agency” approaches. The “one-stop” concept assures a dignified initial intake and
up-to-date knowledge about resources typically needed by caregivers.
The challenge lies in educating other systems about the unique characteristics of extended and
multigenerational families. The goal is to respect the time-honored tradition of shared
caregiving and to become “kin-competent” in our work with these families.
While grandparent-headed
families cross all socio-economic
levels, these grandparents are
more likely to live in poverty than
other grandparents. (AARP)
In Pima County, the Kinship and Adoption
Resource & Education Family (K.A.R.E.) Center
opened in February 2002. This is a one-stop
facility that provides referrals, resources,
education and emotional support to relatives
raising other relatives’ children, as well as
guardianship and adoption families.
The K.A.R.E. Center’s services are modeled after
the Edgewood Family Center in San Francisco,
California. The model features a wide range of
holistic services offered in a one-stop setting, and
employs some of the caregivers themselves as
outreach workers. Both case management and
ongoing support services are offered in this
Tucson K.A.R.E. (Kinship, Adoption
Resources and Education) Center
Page 14
Support Group Facilitation Training The
Governor's Advisory Council on Aging in
collaboration with Beatitudes Center D.O.A.R.,
Inc., the University of Arizona Cooperative
Extension, the Grandparents' Concerns Task
Force, and other resource information sources
have developed the "Support Group Training
Manual for Kinship Caregivers and
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren." While
there is a growing body of literature on
grandparents and other relatives raising their kin,
there is little material specifically focused on
creating and maintaining support networks for
the caregivers. This training manual is available
through the Governor's Council on Aging.
Partnership Training - The Department has
devoted resources to train community advocates to
assist Kinship Caregivers in applying for TANF
Cash Assistance and referring them to other DES
program services. In addition, other services
explored are in-home services for the elderly, Social
Security benefits, Women, Infants and Children
Supplemental Food Program (WIC), veterans’
benefits, school lunch program, and referrals to
community agencies for assistance with clothing,
shelter costs, dependent care costs and medical
needs, etc.
Grandparent Universities and Town Halls -
The Department has participated in Grandparent
Universities, Town Hall meetings and is also
collaborating with community partners in
identifying additional needs and services throughout
the community to address some of the barriers faced
by kin.
The following steps will be followed to further address the provision of services to
Kinship Caregivers.
1. The Department of Economic Security will continue to monitor each pilot
office as well as conduct surveys of Kinship Caregivers who are utilizing
the services of these two offices in an effort to identify if additional areas of
policy or practices should be further streamlined to improve better access
to services.
2. The Department will continue to network with community advocates in
marketing the programs and services available to Kinship Caregivers and
their children.
3. The Department of Economic Security will collaborate with the Auditor
General on its performance evaluation of the implementation of the
Kinship legislation to further determine areas for improvement.
Next Steps
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