"Supporting Kinship Families: a Toolkit for Pediatricians"
The Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Foster and Kinship Care Committee has developed the following toolkit of resources for pediatricians who are looking for ways to better support their kinship patients and families. As pediatricians who serve as healthcare providers for children and youth in kinship care in Pennsylvania, the members of our Foster and Kinship Care Committee recognized a lack of supports and standardized processes to ensure that kinship families have the tools and supports they need to ensure the health of the children that are under their care.
The use of kin for placements of children removed from their parents’ home has increased, but there is a gap in support for kinship care families.
"Kinship care" is defined by the Pennsylvania KinConnector as “the full-time care, nurturing and protection of children by relatives or any adult who has a 'kinship' bond with the children." Generations United (2020) reported that 8 million children are living with a relative as the head of the household, nationwide. Among them, 2.7 million children are raised by relatives without parental presence. In Pennsylvania, there are about 239 thousand children under 18 who live in homes where householders are grandparents (80%) or other relatives. Approximately 89,000 grandparents are responsible for their grandchildren in Pennsylvania, and 33% of them provide care without having the children's parents present in the home (GrandFacts State Fact Sheets, 2019).
Pediatrician Kinship Care Resources:
General/Nationwide Resources
General tips for Grandparents raising grandchildren (help guide.org)
Overview of legal issues for Grandparents raising grandchildren (describes the legal differences between adoption, foster care, informal kinship care)
Navigating child welfare:
Pennsylvania-Specific Resources
Resource and referral hub for Kinship Care providers in Pennsylvania- kinconnector.org
Grandfamilies.org State Fact Sheets
Offers 52 updated, State-specific GrandFacts Fact Sheets, which contain information on State data, State programs and resources available to kinship families, public benefits, educational assistance, legal relationship options, and State laws.
Legal Representation and Advice
Senior Law Center: https://seniorlawcenter.org/
Legal Aid: https://palegalaid.net/
The use of kin for placements of children removed from their parents’ home has increased, but there is a gap in support for kinship care families.
"Kinship care" is defined by the Pennsylvania KinConnector as “the full-time care, nurturing and protection of children by relatives or any adult who has a 'kinship' bond with the children." Generations United (2020) reported that 8 million children are living with a relative as the head of the household, nationwide. Among them, 2.7 million children are raised by relatives without parental presence. In Pennsylvania, there are about 239 thousand children under 18 who live in homes where householders are grandparents (80%) or other relatives. Approximately 89,000 grandparents are responsible for their grandchildren in Pennsylvania, and 33% of them provide care without having the children's parents present in the home (GrandFacts State Fact Sheets, 2019).
Pediatrician Kinship Care Resources:
General/Nationwide Resources
General tips for Grandparents raising grandchildren (help guide.org)
Overview of legal issues for Grandparents raising grandchildren (describes the legal differences between adoption, foster care, informal kinship care)
Navigating child welfare:
- Kinship Care and the Child Welfare System - (PDF) Factsheet for kin caregivers navigating the U.S. child welfare system (Child Welfare Information Gateway)
- Healthy Ties: The Grandparent’s and other Relative Caregiver’s Guide to Health Insurance for Children - (PDF) – A look at health insurance coverage through Medicaid and CHIP enrollment for grandparents raising grandchildren. (Children’s Defense Fund)
Pennsylvania-Specific Resources
Resource and referral hub for Kinship Care providers in Pennsylvania- kinconnector.org
Grandfamilies.org State Fact Sheets
Offers 52 updated, State-specific GrandFacts Fact Sheets, which contain information on State data, State programs and resources available to kinship families, public benefits, educational assistance, legal relationship options, and State laws.
Legal Representation and Advice
Senior Law Center: https://seniorlawcenter.org/
Legal Aid: https://palegalaid.net/