While most states have kinship foster care, the way they handle things is very different. They give varying levels of support to the families. Financial assistance, support and other resources have the greatest impact on kinship foster care.

Some states do offer financial assistance, subsidizing housing, educational funds, respite care, and other services. For the most part this is not a widely practiced thing. Some states offer different assistance on a case by case when it involves kinship. The major responsibility falls on the family member providing care.

Some states are realizing the need of kinship fostering... more

Kinship foster care is when the court makes a family member responsible for the care of a child that a child welfare agency has moved. The agency will look for a willing family member to care for the child before placing them in out of home foster placement. A lot of family members do not want to get involved with a family member losing their children, so this is not always an option for children coming into foster care.

In some states the court does not need to be involved if the child welfare agency decides that the kinship placement will be safe for the child. The family member may agree to care for the... more