According to U.S. Census Bureau data, in 2023, about 1 million grandchildren were raised by their grandparents with no parents present in the home. Grandparents often play an essential role in their grandchildren’s well-being, providing them with consistency and support. Whether you know a kinship care provider or simply want to support youth in foster care, there are many ways you can step up and get involved–and at AFFCF, we’re here to help.
What is Kinship Care?
Kinship care is a critical component of the foster care system in Arizona. It occurs when someone who is directly or indirectly related to a youth in foster care, including both friends and family members, steps in to provide care instead of an unrelated foster care provider. Kinship care isn’t restricted to blood relatives. While biological family members like grandparents can take custody, “fictive kin,” or close family friends, neighbors, and others connected to the child, can also step up to provide care.
Kinship Placement vs. Foster Care: Key Differences
Kinship care vs foster care can look a little different. Often, kinship care providers are not licensed foster care providers when they accept the placement. Kinship care can provide a more stable, familiar environment for the child, which can reduce trauma and provide them with higher levels of consistency. With traditional foster care, on the other hand, the child is often placed with an unfamiliar family, where they may not know the rules or understand the expectations.
Kinship caregivers and traditional foster care providers typically also meet different safety and licensing requirements. While kinship caregivers must meet key safety requirements, including background checks and home visits, they may not be required to go through the full foster care licensing process and all it entails. However, the traditional foster care licensing process is available to kinship caregivers in Arizona and can provide access to more resources.
Licensed kinship foster homes receive a stipend of under $10 per day to care for children in foster care. Unlicensed caregivers, on the other hand, receive no financial assistance. Often, this is challenged by care providers–and it’s part of why organizations like AFFCF are so important: because we provide aid to all types of families who accept children in foster care, not just the ones who have gone through the licensing process.
The Arizona Context: Honoring Our Grandparents
Kinship care is particularly important throughout Arizona. The majority of children are with kinship care providers within the state’s foster care system, who have stepped up to care for their kin, providing them with a safe and consistent home with family members. This has a profound impact not only on the child’s overall well-being but on their ability to maintain connections to their family and community.
Kinship care can bring challenges, including financial restructuring, the need to navigate a complex system, and ultimately, a more demanding schedule. However, these kinship placements, including grandparents, recognize the benefits that kinship care can offer, including allowing children to remain connected to their grandparents.
How AFFCF Supports Kinship Caregivers
The Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation provides resources to aid all children in foster care, including those in kinship care placements. We offer a number of key support areas, including:
- Financial assistance for extracurricular activities
- Tutoring and school supplies
- Assistance with going to post-secondary education
- Help develop life skills, including career discovery and financial literacy
AFFCF’s support is about ensuring children in kinship care have the same opportunities as any other child, helping them thrive. We believe that these resources are critical for all children in foster care, regardless of whether they are in kinship care or placed with strangers.
Kinship Care: The Glue of Foster Care in Arizona
Kinship care is critical, both for the children staying with kinship care providers and for the foster care system throughout Arizona. Not only does it help provide consistency and comfort to children in care, but it can also help keep licensed foster homes available for other children who need them. Grandparents can often play a vital role in kinship care, stepping up to accept their grandchildren into their homes. Join us in celebrating and supporting these unsung heroes. Contact us or learn more about how you can help, whether you want to give financially or provide support through one of our programs.
Image credit: // Shutterstock // fizkes