Relative & Kinship Care

Family Caregiver Support & Resources

What is Kinship Care?

Kinship care means a relative, such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or close family friend, provides a safe, loving home for a child. This can be a formal arrangement through the foster care system or an informal agreement within the family. Kinship care helps keep children connected to their roots and provides stability during difficult times.

Types of Care Providers

Informal Relative Care Provider

A person caring for a relative child who is not in foster care or otherwise involved in the child welfare system. The family decides on its own that this relative will care for the child. The child’s birth parents keep legal custody, not the state.

Formal Relative Care Provider

Cares for a child who is in custody of the state. The state places the child with an appropriate relative, who then must work toward certification as a foster parent for that child.