Description

Provides short-term assistance to relatives or close family supporters (fictive kin) who have been caring for a child/children informally. Relative caregivers receive assistance in obtaining guardianship of the child for whom they are providing care. Also helps resolve any crisis the family may be facing and prepares the relative caregivers to achieve permanency for the child as well as for them. Services aim to prevent children's entry into out-of-home care and help children achieve permanency.

Additionally, families are provided with financial assistance, if needed, to address needs such as clothing for the child(ren), additional needed furniture to accommodate the child(ren) such as mattresses, beds, and linen, and helping the child(ren) to be enrolled in school by acquiring birth certificates of child(ren). Also helps family identify appropriate additional benefits to which they may be entitled.

Services may include:

-- Assistance in obtaining guardianship.

-- Education on navigating the court system and proceedings.

-- Help obtaining a child-only grant, subsidized day care and other entitlements.

-- Guidance on enrolling children in local schools.

-- Assistance with financial and housing issues.

-- Cash and in-kind assistance to help meet the basic needs of the family.

-- Referral linkages to other needed community resources including legal services, and medical and mental health services.

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