Description:
Voluntary Kinship Care is designed to help support a child who needs to live outside of his or her own home, either temporarily or for the long term when the family has arranged for the child with a relative (such as an adult brother or sister, a first cousin, a nephew or niece, an uncle or aunt or a grandparent).
Court-Ordered Kinship Care supports children placed with a relative rather than being placed in a foster home or other type of out-of-home placement. For children who do come to the attention of the child welfare system, Kinship Care creates another placement option for a child who may not be able to continue living at home with his or her parents.
Each placement is assessed to determine if there is a need for protection or services. A criminal background check, of all adults having contact with the child and every adult living in the home is mandatory.