Навигация по родству: как найти поддержку и преодолеть трудности
Kinship care provides stability, safety, and support for children in a familiar environment. In Maryland, kinship navigation services can help families access benefits and support and manage any challenges.
How does kinship work?
Many families are kinship caregivers and don't even know it, because it was at the request of the parent due to a serious hardship. So, it's an informal and temporary arrangement.
Kinship caregivers provide 24/7 care in the home of a relative or family by choice (non-relative). This keeps kids connected to their culture and community.
The child may be placed in a caregiver's home:
- at the request of the local Department of Social Services или
- through an informal request from the child’s parent if they encounter a serious hardship
Kinship caregivers partner with the child and their biological parent.
That new relationship can challenge family dynamics and impact the child, parent, and the caregiver's family.
While the 24/7 care is supposed to be temporary, sometimes the kinship caregiver becomes part of the permanent solution by adopting the child or becoming their legal guardian.
Kinship navigators can help caregivers navigate the process and connect them to available resources and benefits. Nationally, kinship caregivers underutilize available benefits, often because they don't know they are a kinship caregiver or that resources and benefits exist.
Kinship Navigation Help
Kinship navigators are available to help families navigate assistance programs.
You can dial 211 and get connected to a kinship navigator. They are knowledgeable about kinship benefits and community resources that can offer support.
The child may be eligible for:
- Temporary Cash Assistance/Child Only Grant
- food stamps/Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- child care
- медицинская страховка
- коммунальная помощь
- Social Security benefits
Learn about each of these benefit programs in 211's Kinship 101 Guide.
Get supportive text messages
211 Мэриленд и Департамент социальных служб Мэриленда также отправляют текстовые сообщения, связывающие бабушек и дедушек и родственников с ресурсами и поддержкой.
MDKinCare обеспечивает:
- Легкий доступ к информации и ресурсам сообщества.
- Поощрительные сообщения
Отправьте сообщение MDKinCares на номер 898-211.
211 Мэриленд предлагает программы оповещения текстовыми сообщениями, которые предоставляют информацию о ресурсах для конкретного региона или предупреждают о стихийных бедствиях. Отправьте сообщение STOP на тот же номер, чтобы отказаться от подписки. Полные условия смс на https://211md.org/sms/ также будет применяться.
Learn from other kinship families
Trina Townsend cared for her niece and nephew when they were teenagers. She thought of herself as an "aunt" before learning about the available benefits.
Trina Townsend, now the Kinship Program Specialist, joined the “What’s the 211?” podcast to discuss what it's like to be a kinship provider.
She went from being a single-parent family of two to a family of five. She remembers the challenges and concerns, hoping she could financially care for the children while also supporting their needs and those of her sister.
Now educating families and connecting them to support, Trina is a resource for all kinship families.
Information for Kinship Families
211 Maryland can connect kinship families to information and resources to address essential needs. Dial 211 to talk with someone.
Community Resources for Kinship Caregivers
Kinship caregivers keep children connected to family and culture, so it can be a very positive experience. Connect with resources and support to navigate kinship.
Community organizations throughout Maryland are available to help.
Virtual and Home Visits
In Prince George’s County, you can contact the Центр прогрессивной жизни, a private care organization that provides kinship support. Virtual and home visits are available for emotional support, guidance, and they also provide access to counseling and financial assistance.
Video training
The Центр сотрудничества по развитию потенциала в области защиты детей video series helps families learn from others who have overcome kinship challenges for the benefit and well-being of the child.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation offers a training series with tips to help with feelings of loss and ambivalence when a relative comes to live with you. The training series also tackles important themes like guilt, hope, and denial.
Постоянное размещение
While kinship care is temporary, the placement with a kinship caregiver can last longer than expected. Kinship caregivers should plan for that possibility.
Local kinship navigator can also help to find a path forward, temporarily and permanently, for the child.
If the child is in foster care, the Department of Social Services will work to find a permanent solution. If the child can’t return to their biological parents, the kinship caregiver can become the permanent legal guardian through adoption, legal custody, or guardianship.
Наберите 211
Поговорите с заботливым и отзывчивым человеком круглосуточно. Он также может предоставить вам необходимые ресурсы.
Navigating Challenges: Family Dynamics
Depending on the circumstances leading up to the temporary living arrangement, kinship may challenge family dynamics.
This can include the child, kinship caregiver, and biological parent(s).
- The child may need support managing stress or help to heal from trauma.
- The living arrangement can interrupt the caregiver’s plans, priorities, and privacy.
- Родителям и опекунам, возможно, придется столкнуться со сложными чувствами, такими как вина, стыд, гнев, недоверие, негодование и утрата.
It can also erode trust within the family. The biological parent may have to earn back the relative’s trust to once again care for the child.
Both the parent and kinship caregiver may also find it challenging to respect boundaries, as these are new or have changed.
The caregiver should help the parent find the support they need to heal, with the ultimate goal of returning the child to the parent’s care when possible.
What can you do?
As the kinship caregiver, you should be prepared to help the parent get the therapy, counseling, or support they need.
Родителям и родственникам рекомендуется:
- Слушайте и поддерживайте друг друга.
- Честно говорите о потребностях и заботах.
- Проявляйте сочувствие к проблемам друг друга.
- Признайте трудности для всех участников.
Also, dial 211 and talk to a trained professional who can help connect you to kinship resources and community support.
Other Resources for Kinship Families
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