Information

Kinship Care Resource Center

The Kinship Care Resource Center was established through grant funding to The Coppin State College Nursing Department from the State of Maryland Department of Human Resources, Social Services Administration in 1999. The Resource Center provides information and referral to kinship care families in a centralized location that serves the entire State of Maryland. We aim to stabilize familiesby providing information on accessing needed resources.

The Resource Center is designed to provide services to both formal and informal kinship caregivers. The Resource Center services are voluntary and free of charge to caregivers.

The mission of the Kinship Care Resource Center of Maryland is to provide strategies, information, referrals and support designed to empower and preserve families that are providing kinship care. This means that kinship care families are provided with resources and services necessary to keep families intact.

• To continue the expansion of the Resource Center’s operations on a statewide basis so that the public’s awareness of available resources for kinship care is increased.
• Develop and offer programs and services designed to preserve, empower, and strengthen families that provide kinship care in local and state areas.
• To increase the community’s awareness of the needs of Kinship Caregivers and their families.

• Support Groups:

  Support Groups are a wonderful way to learn from others in similar situations. They provide a comfortable setting where participants can share information, experiences and feelings. Often speakers present information on topics of interest to the groups.

  The Resource Center facilitates two Support Groups in Baltimore City, one for adults and one for children. We also maintain listings of other Support Groups throughout the state of Maryland, so that we can refer caregivers to groups in their area, call us at (410) 951-4177. Support Groups in Maryland can also be located on-line at:

  • CWLA (Child Welfare League of America)
  • DHR(Department of Human Resources)
  • AARP
  
  
• Transportation:
  

  It is often difficult to juggle the responsibilities of taking care of yourself and your grandchildren. For this reason the Resource Center provides free transportation to caregivers and children Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 and 1:00 to help make sure that you are able to get to appointments. Call at least two days in advance to schedule transportation (All transportation requests are subject to the driver’s availability).Click here for more information on the Kinship Care Resource Center’s transportation service.

• Information and Referral:
  

  With all the new information involved in caring for grandchildren it is easy to become overwhelmed. The Resource Center helps caregivers identify the resources and services that will best meet their needs and the needs of their grandchildren. We provide information on a variety of topics and referrals to community agencies.

• Advocacy:
  

  Many of the issues facing kinship care families are universal including: financial difficulty, housing, legal and access to health care. In order to address these universal issues the Kinship Care Resource Center advocate for the mutual well-being of kinship families. This consists of educating policymakers and the public about the economic, social and health needs of kinship families. The Kinship Care Resource will support initiatives that will expand and improve resources and support services for all kinship families. The Kinship Care Resource Center will actively empower kinship families to advocate for legislation that will support their plight. Advocacy efforts will entail letter writing campaigns, developing legislative agendas, hold legislative briefings and visiting legislators to discuss the issues and solutions.

• Recreational Activities:
  

  Sometimes it is hard to take time out for fun. The Resource Center plans outings for families to take time out and enjoy themselves. These outings include free group trips as well as free or discounted tickets to local activities. Click here for the calendar of events

• Assistance with Legal Issues:
  

  We know that legal issues can be one of the most difficult and frustrating aspects of caring for a related child. The Resource Center can provide you with information to assist you through the process. The Resource Center also makes referrals to agencies that offer pro bono (free) and/or reduced fee legal services.

• Transportation:
  

  The Kinship Care Resource Center Van Service is available to transport Caregivers and Children to medical or other appointments at no charge between the hours of 8:00 am - 1:00 pm.

In order to use this service you must make an appointment (2) two days in advance of your appointment by contacting (410) 951-4177.

Growing up in kinship care can be a wonderful experience for the whole family, but the teenage years present a host of new challenges for the child, caregiver and extended family.

Some if the issues discussed by teens are:

• Excessively strict rules
• Conflicts with guardians
• Disappointment by parent and other relatives
• Violence in their community
• Decision making (home, school and community)
• Stress
• Grief

The Kinship Care Resource Center has been working closely with area teens in order to ensure that our programs meet the needs of today’s teenagers. Out of the these meetings we have developed the following services:

• Support Groups
  The Kinship Care Resource Center of Maryland facilitates Children’s Support Groups in Baltimore City in order to provide a safe place for the children to speak about issues of concern to them (both positive and negative) and to develop positive peer relationships. The children practice appropriate coping skills and methods of interacting with their grandparents.
  For more information on Support Groups for teens please call the Resource Center at (410) 951-4177.
• Recreational Activities
  The Kinship Care Resource Center of Maryland plans recreational activities for children and adults throughout Maryland.
• Workshops
  The Kinship Care Resource Center of Maryland will develop workshops for children living in kinship care to develop their ability to cope with the challenges of growing up in kinship care.
• Get Involved
  If you are a teenager living with a relative who has the primary responsibility of caring for you contact the Kinship Care Resource Center at (410) 951-4177 to find out more.

Do you have other ideas of how to get involved? Give us a call at or e-mail us, we would love to hear from you.

Kinship care, is the full-time care, nurturing and protection of children by relatives or kin, and has a history and background as old as the family.

Kinship care can be broken down into two components:

• Informal kinship - arrangement applies to children who are living with a grandparent or other relative and are not under state custody with the local department of social services. Often, these children have not come to the attention of the Child Protective Services agency and are living with an understanding or agreement among family members. All family matters are handled within the family unit.
• Formal kinship care - arrangement applies to children reported to the Child Protective Service agency, removed from the care of a parent or guardian, and placed in State custody with the local department of social services. The local department of social services is then responsible for providing support services and supervision to the child/children while they are cared for in a Kinship Care placement. These children fall under the care and protection of the formal child welfare system.

The 2000 Census identified 5,771,671 grandparents in the United States residing in the home with at least one minor grandchild. Of these grandparents, forty-two percent or 2,426,730 are responsible for meeting the basic needs of their grandchildren. In Maryland 125,697 grandparents reside in the home with grandchildren and 50, 947 are responsible for meeting the basic needs of their grandchildren. For more Census information click here

There are several factors that contribute to the need for kinship care. According to the U. S. Bureau of the Census, 1998, factors that contribute to the increase in grandparents and other relatives raising children included, but were not necessarily limited to, the following:

• Death of a parent
• Child abuse and/or neglect
• Abandonment
• Teenage pregnancy
• Alcohol and drug abuse
• HIV/AIDS
• Unemployment
• Incarceration
• Divorce
• Mental health problems
• Family violence
• Poverty