Kinship Care

KINSHIP CARE

According to a 1998 Census report, alternative
caregivers are raising more than 1.4 million children
in the United States. Often, these caregivers must
meet the difficult demands of parenting late in their
lives despite increasing health problems and
financial woes. Moreover, these caregivers face the
daunting task of seeking help they need through an
unfamiliar and often bureaucratic network of
services.

The Foster Grandparent Program of Central Florida,
Seniors First, Inc., the Senior Resource Alliance, the
Legal Aid Society of Orange County, and the
Department of Elder Affairs forged a partnership to
publish a Kinship Care Manual. The manual includes
general information on the network of services
available to caregivers and answers many questions
caregivers have when they assume care for a child.
It is a basic framework of resources for the
alternative caregiver.

To augment the manual, support groups are held
each month for alternative caregivers. These
caregivers are able to communicate with a
moderator and other caregivers to talk through the
unique challenges they face and to seek out the
resources they need.

For additional information on the KINSHIP CARE
PROGRAM or to obtain a Kinship Care Manual, please
contact Jane Watkins, 407.298.4180.