{"id":850,"date":"2018-05-06T05:03:28","date_gmt":"2018-05-06T05:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/?page_id=850"},"modified":"2025-01-28T01:49:58","modified_gmt":"2025-01-28T01:49:58","slug":"kinship-care","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/kinship-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Kinship Care"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-855 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/navkinshipcare-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/navkinshipcare-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/navkinshipcare-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/navkinshipcare.jpg 550w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">WHAT IS KINSHIP CARE?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">In Maryland,\u00a0Kinship Care\u00a0is designed to preserve family ties by helping when possible with the needs of children, the biological parents, and the relative providing 24 hour\u00a0care, 7 days per week to the child. There are two categories of\u00a0Kinship Care: Formal and Informal.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">WHAT IS FORMAL KINSHIP CARE?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Formal Kinship Care happens when a child has come to the attention of the State and is now in the custody of the State but is placed with a relative for their care.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">WHAT IS INFORMAL KINSHIP CARE?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Informal Kinship Care is when a child\u2019s parent(s) voluntarily place the child in the care of a relative by blood or marriage. Legal custody is not required.\u00a0 For instance, a parent may voluntarily place the child in the care of a parent or sibling.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">WHY KINSHIP CARE RATHER THAN FOSTER CARE OR ADOPTIONS?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">The Maryland Department of Human Resources recognizes that children belong with families, especially their family of origin when possible. Many grandparents and relatives are becoming kinship caregivers and are taking care of children whose parents are unable or unwilling to raise them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"> There are many reasons that a parent may be unwilling or unable to care for their child, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\"> abandonment by parent<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\"> death<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\"> incarceration<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\"> serious illness<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\"> substance abuse <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000080;\">military duty<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">WHO QUALIFIES TO BE A KINSHIP CAREGIVER?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">A Kinship Caregiver is related by blood or marriage within five degrees of consanguinity or affinity to a child who is in your physical care.\u00a0 A kinship caregiver must be 18 years of age.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">WHAT IS FIVE DEGREES OF CONSANGUINITY OR AFFINITY?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Here is a useful chart.\u00a0 Thank you to:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">By Sg647112c &#8211; Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=18790549<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-854\" src=\"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Navigating-Table_of_Consanguinity_showing_degrees_of_relationship-300x293.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Navigating-Table_of_Consanguinity_showing_degrees_of_relationship-300x293.png 300w, https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Navigating-Table_of_Consanguinity_showing_degrees_of_relationship-277x270.png 277w, https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Navigating-Table_of_Consanguinity_showing_degrees_of_relationship.png 492w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">IS THERE ANY HELP AVAILABLE FOR KINSHIP CAREGIVERS?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Yes.\u00a0 If the kinship caregiver is a Maryland resident, he\/she can apply on behalf of the child for cash assistance.\u00a0 This kind of assistance is a &#8220;child only&#8221; grant.\u00a0 The grant is based on the child&#8217;s resources only &#8211; not the kinship caregiver&#8217;s.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Food Stamps can be applied for based upon the household income.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>HOW DO KINSHIP CAREGIVERS PROVIDE CONSENT FOR HEALTH CARE?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">There is a Consent for Health Care Affidavit that can be filled out so that the kinship caregiver can provide consent for health care for the child.\u00a0 The child can not be in the care or custody of the local Department of Social Services and the kinship caregiver must be able to verify the relationship to the child who is in need of health care services.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">To receive this form:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">\u2022 Call 1(877) 463-3464<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000080;\">\u2022 Go to<span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"> <a style=\"color: #ff6600;\" href=\"http:\/\/dhmh.maryland.gov\/Pages\/departments.ASPX\">http:\/\/dhmh.maryland.gov\/Pages\/departments.ASPX<\/a><\/span> for<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000080;\">your local health department\u2019s location and telephone number<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000080;\">\u2022 Contact your Local Department of Social Services<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>HOW DOES A KINSHIP CAREGIVER ENROLL A CHILD INTO SCHOOL?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">There is an Education Affidavit that can be filled out that allows the kinship caregiver assistance in enrolling the child in school.\u00a0 It will also allow the caregiver to be an advocate for the child in school matters.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">To receive the form, contact the child&#8217;s school.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">IF MY CHILD IS IN KINSHIP CARE WHILE I AM INCARCERATED, WILL I AUTOMATICALLY GET HIM\/HER BACK WHEN I AM RELEASED?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Not necessarily.\u00a0 Family reunification will depend upon a lot of factors, not the least of which is your rehabilitation and satisfactory completion of prescribed programs.\u00a0 Once you are released, you will need to follow a plan of action that the court approves.\u00a0 The decision of whether or not your child\/children are returned to your custody depends upon what is in the best interest of the child.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">However, kinship caregiving will allow your child\/children to remain in the support structure of your family and not be legally adopted out.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ASSISTANCE WITH KINSHIP CAREGIVING, GO TO MARYLAND DEPARTMENT HUMAN SERVICES<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dhs.maryland.gov\/out-of-home-care\/kinship-care\/\">https:\/\/dhs.maryland.gov\/out-of-home-care\/kinship-care\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WHAT IS KINSHIP CARE? In Maryland,\u00a0Kinship Care\u00a0is designed to preserve family ties by helping when possible with the needs of children, the biological parents, and the relative providing 24 hour\u00a0care, 7 days per week to the child. There are two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/kinship-care\/\" class=\"read-more\">Read More &#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/850"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=850"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/850\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1336,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/850\/revisions\/1336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigatingreentry.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}