March 27, 2023 Intersection of Kinship Care and Culture: African & Caribbean Communities in America Kinship care is a survival strategy that has historical significance for African and Caribbean families because it is linked to a tradition of help and a broad base of support. Join the Grandfamilies and Kinship Support Network for this webinar on kinship care to learn more about family structures and how understanding them can improve family engagement. Session Details Thursday, April 12 | 2 – 3:30 p.m. Virtual Register Learn More In this webinar, panelists will highlight the strengths, support needs, and service models for working with kinship families in African and Caribbean communities. Information presented will include: demographic profiles of these two groups definition of what “kinship care” means to these populations description of traditional family patterns of these populations that include cultural dynamics and norms conflicts between Afrocentric and Eurocentric perspectives on kinship care identification of the best access points (locations and persons) for engagement and services that are culturally responsive to these kinship families suggestions for reframing policy and practice for kinship services for these populations To learn more, visit the Grandfamilies and Kinship Support Network website.
March 10, 2023 Navigating Family Dynamics: A Native Youth Perspective Join the Grandfamilies & Kinship Network and National Indian Child Welfare Association for this webinar on child care and the relational worldview model—an Indigenous child care model that looks at well-being as a balance between the four quadrants: environment, mind, body, and spirit. Panelists will discuss their experience living in grandfamilies and kinship families, navigating changes in relationships with their relatives, the things that helped bring them balance, and what support they needed from those around them. Session Details Tuesday, March 21 | 1 -2 p.m. Virtual Register Learn More To learn more, visit the Grandfamilies & Kinship Network website.
August 2, 2019 PA DHS Announces KinConnector Helpline On August 1, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ (PA DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller and Aging Secretary Robert Torres announced a helpline for families in kinship care situations, including grandparents raising their grandchildren because of the opioid crisis. About The KinConnector helpline was created by Act 89 of 2018, which established a kinship navigator program for Pennsylvania. KinConnector will act as a bridge that helps families identify resources, including gaining access to local, state, and federal resources. The KinConnector helpline is staffed by Kinship Navigators–compassionate, knowledgeable social service professionals prepared to help families locate, understand, and access resources that may be able to help them. This helpline, however, is just the beginning. A website of resources is set to launch in late 2019. KinConnector Helpline KinConnector can be reached by calling 1.866.KIN.2111 (1.866.546.2111). Assistance is available Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Services Examples of provided services include: connecting caregivers to health, financial, and legal services, connecting caregivers to training and parenting advice, identifying local physical or behavioral services, identifying support groups, helping caregivers enroll a child in school, helping caregivers apply for federal, state, and local benefits such as CHIP and Social Security, and other services designed to support caregivers. Why Kinship Matters Kinship care is becoming more common in Pennsylvania, with grandparents, aunts, uncles, or siblings often stepping in to fill the role of parents who are seeking treatment or, in the most tragic cases, have died from the disease of addiction. Kinship care guardians often make a selfless choice to care for a young relative and ensure they receive care and support from a family member they know and trust, even when processing their own emotions around their family’s situation. Children being cared for by relatives are less likely to end up in foster care and will experience better outcomes when they are living with a relative or someone they know. KinConnector will help ease the burden on these families and give them the tools and resources they need to be successful. More Information For more information on resources available for kinship families and grandparents raising grandchildren, visit dhs.pa.gov. Information provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
