Điều hướng quan hệ họ hàng: Cách tìm sự hỗ trợ và vượt qua thử thách

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.

Bắt đầu

How kinship works | Get help navigating kinship | Family dynamics

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 hoặc
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
bảo hiểm y tế
hỗ trợ tiện ích
Social Security benefits

Learn about each of these benefit programs in 211's Kinship 101 Guide.

Get supportive text messages

211 Maryland và Bộ Dịch vụ Nhân sinh Maryland cũng gửi tin nhắn văn bản kết nối ông bà và người thân với các nguồn lực và hỗ trợ.

MDKinCare cung cấp:

Dễ dàng truy cập thông tin và tài nguyên cộng đồng.
tin nhắn động viên

Soạn tin MDKinCares tới 898-211.

211 Maryland cung cấp các chương trình cảnh báo bằng tin nhắn văn bản cung cấp thông tin tài nguyên cụ thể theo vùng hoặc cung cấp cảnh báo thảm họa. Nhắn tin STOP đến cùng một số để hủy đăng ký. Điều khoản SMS đầy đủ tại https://211md.org/sms/ cũng sẽ được áp dụng.

Nhắn tin MDKinCares

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.

Listen to the podcast

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 Trung tâm Đời sống Tiến bộ, 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

Các Trung tâm hợp tác nâng cao năng lực phúc lợi trẻ em video series helps families learn from others who have overcome kinship challenges for the benefit and well-being of the child.

Các 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.

Vị trí cố định

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.

Quay số 211

Hãy trò chuyện với một người chu đáo và giàu lòng trắc ẩn 24/7. Họ cũng có thể kết nối bạn với các nguồn lực.

Quay số 211 (di động)

Ông bố nhắn tin trên điện thoại khi bế em bé trên tay

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.
Cha mẹ và người chăm sóc có thể phải đối mặt với những cảm giác khó khăn như cảm giác tội lỗi, xấu hổ, tức giận, không tin tưởng, oán giận và mất mát.

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.

Cha mẹ và người chăm sóc có quan hệ họ hàng được khuyến khích:

Lắng nghe và hỗ trợ lẫn nhau.
Hãy trung thực về nhu cầu và mối quan tâm.
Thể hiện sự đồng cảm đối với những thách thức của nhau.
Thừa nhận những khó khăn cho tất cả những người liên quan.

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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Tìm hiểu về các chương trình trợ cấp và cách kết nối với bộ phận hỗ trợ.

How does kinship work?

Kinship Navigation Help

Get supportive text messages

Learn from other kinship families

Information for Kinship Families

Community Resources for Kinship Caregivers

Virtual and Home Visits

Video training

Vị trí cố định

Quay số 211

Navigating Challenges: Family Dynamics

What can you do?

Other Resources for Kinship Families

khám phá các chương trình hỗ trợ

khám phá các chương trình hỗ trợ

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