Kinship Foster Care

Kinship foster care for grandparents raising grandchildren

When a child has been removed from his or her parent’s home by the state, grandparents have another temporary custody option: kinship foster care.
Here are some important issues to consider in kinship foster care:

• In kinship foster care, you do not have legal custody of the grandchild. This means that although you can take care of your grandchild’s day-to-day needs, you can’t make any major decisions without first obtaining consent from the agency that acts for the state.
• Kinship foster care is not permanent. It is considered temporary custody. The goal is for the child to be placed in a permanent home. While you may be working towards the child to be permanently placed with you, the final decision is with the state agency that placed the child.

Formal vs. informal kinship foster care

Kinship foster care arrangements can be formal or informal. In a formal kinship foster care arrangement, grandparents can receive the same payments that foster parents receive, which can be helpful in managing costs. However, the state agency holds you to the same standards as other foster parents, which can mean trainings, home visits, and evaluations.
Some grandparents prefer informal arrangements for this reason. In informal arrangements, the state places the child with you and then steps out of the picture. You don’t have to worry about further interference or oversight. The trade off is that you won’t receive monthly financial assistance.
If neither option seems ideal, you may want to check if your state has subsidized guardianships. Subsidized guardianships give grandparents more legal rights over the grandchildren in their care while also offering some payment.


Source: SeniorLAW Center
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