The Network Connection

New Federal Rule Supports Kinship Families in Foster Care Resource and Webinar Recording

This short resource explains the final rule that was published by the U.S. Administration for Children and Families (ACF) on September 28, 2023. The rule explicitly gives all Title IV-E child welfare agencies the option to use kin-specific foster care licensing or approval standards and encourages them to limit those standards to federal safety requirements. This change will allow more children to be cared for by those they know and love and requires that they be financially supported like children with non-kin foster parents. We also held a webinar on this topic, along with a coalition of national nonprofit organizations. As part of the webinar, the coalition released its recommended kin-specific standards.

Funding Toolkit

This funding toolkit is designed primarily for nonprofit agencies and organizations that provide tailored services to kinship families, whether as the sole mission of the organization or through one specific program. In this resource, you will find tips and tools to identify and secure funding for your kinship services. The toolkit is accompanied by a Kinship Agency Proposal Template and a format for Creating a Memorandum of Understanding. 

How to Leverage the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey to Learn More about Children in Kinship Families

Building population assessment measures can be costly for programs with limited funds. Utilizing opportunities to draw on existing data can be a cost-effective way to support program and planning efforts. This fact sheet describes the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), explains the benefits of adding kinship-related questions to it and how to do so, and provides examples of the kinship-related questions that Washington State added to its version of the YRBS. We are grateful to Subject Matter Expert Dr. Angelique Day for her work in pulling this resource together.

Resource Guides for Kin Caregivers and Those Who Work with Them

This list contains examples of resource guides for kinship families and those who serve them. These types of written resources can be very helpful to help explain the various legal options available to kin caregivers. They are most useful when they are state-specific, as laws and policies impacting these families vary greatly around the country. 

Monthly Resource

Planning for the “What Ifs”

Our monthly two-pager for October focuses on the delicate but important topic of helping grandfamilies prepare for the death or serious illness of a caregiver. It provides concrete tips for anyone who is navigating these difficult conversations. We are grateful to our partners at ZERO TO THREE for their leadership in producing these monthly resources.

“Supporting Someone in Crisis” Shared Learning Group

The Link Center

See Below for Dates and Times

The Link Center is funded by the Administration for Community Living, and this Shared Learning Group is an opportunity to dive into the topic of “Supporting Someone in Crisis” and tap into community expertise and experiences related to people with cognitive disabilities – including intellectual and developmental disabilities, brain injury, and others – and mental health conditions. The meetings will be led by members of The Link Center Steering Committee and project partners. There are four sessions on the same topic, each for a different target audience. Registration is required and is limited to 200 participants per session. Future sessions will cover different topics.

Registration for the Direct Support Professionals session, which will take place on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET, is now closed.

Register for the Clinical Professionals session, which will take place on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.

Register for and tell families about the Families session, which will take place on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET.

Register for and tell individuals about the Individuals session, which will take place on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.

Webinar: "How to Build a System that Never Stops Looking for Kin"

Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab

Friday, November 3, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. ET

Kin placements don’t always happen at the time of removal, even if there is a willing caregiver. Three child welfare leaders committed to building a kin-first culture in Michigan and Florida will share concrete examples of ways their agency leadership and case management staff are implementing daily practices to build systems that never stop looking for kin

Two Proposed Rules Related to Foster Care Open for Comment

Children’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Written Comments Due By Monday, November 27, 2023

The two new Notice of Proposed Rulemakings (NPRMs) are on the topic of foster care legal representation and safe and appropriate placements and services for children in foster care who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, or intersex, as well as children who are non-binary or have non-conforming gender identity or expression (LGBTQI+).

Tribal Leaders’ Teleconference Call on NPRMs Monday, October 30, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. ET

As part of its efforts to partner with Tribes on a nation-to-nation basis, the Children’s Bureau is inviting Tribal Leaders to join a teleconference call to provide input on the two NPRMs described above. Tribal leaders and other Native advocates can also submit comments through the open commenting process.

Online Event: "Building Resilience: Supporting Grandfamilies’ Mental Health and Wellness" State of Grandfamilies Report Release

Generations United

Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. ET

The 2023 State of Grandfamilies report release webinar will explore key findings and highlights from the report and will feature a conversation with caregivers and young members of grandfamilies, which will be facilitated by Sonia Emerson of ChildFocus Partners. Webinar attendees will also hear insights from Dr. Joseph Crumbley, who is a Network subject matter expert.

2023 Chartbook – More Older Adults, More Complex Needs: Trends and New Directions from the National Survey of Area Agencies on Aging

USAging

This recently released document presents the results from the latest national survey of Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs). The survey was funded through a grant from the U.S. Administration on Aging within the Administration for Community Living and conducted in partnership with Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University. Regarding kin caregivers, the chartbook shows the following key facts.

• 53 percent of AAAs provide services specifically for grandparent and/or kin caregivers
• 30 percent provide social engagement programs for this population
• 20 percent have a kinship program coordinator or manager on staff, and an additional 10 percent would like to hire one in the next three years
• 18 percent of AAAs feel they would benefit from additional training or technical assistance to better serve kinship caregivers – if you work for one of them, contact us
• 3 percent of AAAs operate a kinship navigator program

Kinship Care Supports the Academic Performance of Children

Child Trends

In this brief, Network Subject Matter Expert Dr. Tyreasa Washington and Dr. Brittany P. Mihalec-Adkins summarize the findings of a recent study by Dr. Washington and her colleagues. The study focused on the academic trajectories of children in formal and informal kinship care. Additionally, the brief presents new recommendations for child welfare agencies.

Medicaid and Housing: State Strategies to Support Housing-Related Services Toolkit

National Academy for State Health Policy

States can use Medicaid to support housing and housing-related services for Medicaid beneficiaries. This toolkit includes three briefs and an interactive chart. The interactive chart provides a detailed look at supportive housing programs in 18 states. The briefs provide information on Medicaid authorities that are frequently used to address housing needs; a description of how states have structured their payment policy for housing support services under Medicaid; and an overview of common target populations, services, and reimbursement approaches.

2023 Virtual Workshop Recordings

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) National Training Program

The CMS National Training Program seeks to produce information that can be used to effectively train the public. Kinship navigators and other professionals who work with families may find some of these workshop recordings helpful. E-courses are also available through the CMS National Training Program website.