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Kinship

Foster A Child You Know

WHAT IS KINSHIP CARE?

The primary goal of foster care is to provide a nurturing home for children until it is safe for them to return to their families. If a child cannot safely remain at home with their families, the next best option is placement in a family setting with a kinship caregiver or foster family.

WHO CAN BE A KINSHIP CAREGIVER?

Kinship caregivers are preferred placements for children due to their knowledge of and relationship with the family and the child.  Placement preference is determined by the following specific order, and subject to the child’s best interest:

  1. Non-custodial parents
  2. Relatives: The child’s grandparents, great-grandparents, aunt, great-aunt, uncle, great-uncle, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepparent, first cousin, step sibling, sibling, parent’s first cousins, and adults who are the adoptive parents of the child’s sibling. For an Indian child, relative also includes an “extended family member” as defined by the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).
  3. Friends: If relatives are not available, an adult identified by the parent or the child who the child knows and is comfortable with may be considered. Friends must be willing to become licensed foster parents for the specific child.

START HERE: Contact the Division of Child and Family Services at 801-538-4100 or visit their website here. Utah Foster Care does not determine kinship placements; however we do provide the training for licensure.

RESOURCES FOR KINSHIP CAREGIVERS

  • Children’s Service Society’s Grandfamilies program provides free resources to those caring for grandchildren or other relatives. Programs include classes for caregivers, monthly support groups, and therapeutic counseling services.
  • Care About Childcare has information about daycare providers in your area and their qualifications.
  • United Way 211 is a statewide information and referral line that connects individuals and families to services and resources such as housing, food, childcare, transportation, financial assistance, and more.
  • Utah Department of Workforce Services can provide financial assistance and medical, food stamp or child care benefits through a Specified Relative Grant. You do not need to have guardianship or custody of the child to apply.
  • Utah Foster Care provides initial training for licensed Resource Families, specific training on child development, grief and loss, and strategies for meeting children’s special needs, and continued training and support as part of the Resource Family community.

WHEN THE CHILD YOU KNOW ISN’T IN UTAH

The process for becoming a foster parent for a child from another state is governed by a legal agreement between all states called the “Interstate Compact for Placement of Children”, or ICPC. According to this agreement, one state cannot send a child to another state without first receiving permission from the destination state. In order to receive permission, the child’s caseworker will first need to fill out the appropriate paperwork and make a request.

Families in Utah sometimes hear they must get a home study or become licensed before the caseworker will consider placing the child with them. However, the state of Utah will not complete a home study or license a family until the child’s caseworker has requested it through the formal ICPC process.

We encourage you to contact the Utah’s Division of Child & Family Services (DCFS) state offices at (801) 538-4100 and ask for the Interstate Compact Administrator.

 

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