Kinship Relative Care

Kinship care is defined as the full-time nurturing and protection of children by kin or by someone with a significant relationship to the child.

Kinship Care Can Be Done in Two Ways - Informally & Formally

An informal arrangement is made by the family involved independent of the child welfare system.

A formal arrangement involves the child welfare system. In formal arrangements, the family has a choice to be a certified or non-certified placement:

• Certified kinship care refers to those children/youth living with a relative where the relative has been certified as a foster parent through the child welfare system.
• Non-certified kinship care refers to those children/youth living with a relative who has custody of the child and is not certified as a foster parent through the child welfare system.

In Colorado, there are more than 80,000 children under the age of 18 living in a grandparent or other relative-headed household. This represents approximately 7% of all Colorado children.

Jefferson County recognizes the importance of kinship families in the lives of children:

• Children in kinship homes are twice as likely to report positive emotional health as those in traditional foster care.
• The children in kinship homes also report higher levels of happiness and contentment in their kinship placement.
• For these reasons, Jefferson County case management services are individualized to meet each family's needs.

Financial & Medical Assistance

There are a number of options for financial and medical assistance for kinship care families. Some assistance is temporary and other assistance may continue until a child reaches adulthood. See what is available and apply for kinship relative caretaker benefits.