Kinship Caregiver Support Services
The Child Placing Agency must become Credentialed to provide a primary Service Package as well as the Add-On Service of Kinship Caregiver Support to be eligible for the daily rate associated with this Add-On Service described below.
Add-On Service Summary
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Add-On Service Name | Kinship Caregiver Support Services |
| Setting | Foster Family Home |
| Permit Type | Child Placing Agency |
| Permit Services | Treatment Services: None Required · Programmatic Services: None Required · Special Services: None Required |
Add-On Service Description
In addition to the child, youth, or young adult's primary Service Package, the Child Placing Agency provides enhanced support services to the Kinship Foster Family Home Caregivers. These support services should be customized to the needs of the Kinship Caregivers and the child, youth, or young adult living in the Kinship Foster Family Home. A portion of the funding to support this Add-On Service is intended to reimburse the Child Placing Agency for costs incurred to support the Kinship Caregivers through the foster home verification process.
Add-On Service Expectations
In addition to, and/or consistent with Statutory and Minimum Standards Requirements:
The Child Placing Agency has expertise in Kinship Care, including the state and federal benefits that Kinship Caregivers may be eligible to receive while caring for children, youth, and young adults while in paid foster care. This expertise includes understanding the timing for, and process required to complete and submit applications or other necessary documentation to obtain assistance.
The Child Placing Agency's approach and delivery of the Kinship Caregiver Support Services Add-On Service must consider the custom needs of the child, youth, or young adult; the Caregivers, and the physical residence, and be adaptable (including working with the Caregiver on weekends and outside of normal business hours) to support and sustain a safe verified Kinship foster home placement. The Kinship Caregiver Support Services Add-On Service should be delivered in conjunction with the child, youth, or young adult's primary Service Package being offered in the verified Kinship Caregiver's Foster Family Home.
The Child Placing Agency should have policy, procedures, and a training plan for staff working with Kinship Caregivers and specific to the Kinship Caregiver Support Services Add-On Service. At a minimum, this must include the approach used to engage and assist Kinship Caregivers through the verification process, as well as provide on-going support and enhanced technical assistance. The Child Placing Agency's approach to delivery of the Kinship Caregiver Support Services Add-On Services must align with the Child Placing Agency's Evidence-informed Treatment Model.
The Child Placing Agency must maintain a current Logic Model specific to the provision of the Kinship Caregiver Support Services Add-On Service, which is modified over time based on the Child Placing Agency's Continuous Quality Improvement process.
Child Placing Agency must have staff available 24 hours a day/7 days a week to provide immediate response to Kinship Foster Family Home Caregivers.
Staffing Requirements
- Child Placing Agency must have dedicated Kinship Caregiver Home Support staff and infrastructure
- Aftercare Kinship Support Staff and infrastructure
Depending on the size of the Child Placing Agency, the dedicated Aftercare Kinship Support Staff may serve more than one function within the operation.
Generally Appropriate Staff to Kinship Foster Family Home Ratio
- 1 Child Placing Agency Kinship Caregiver Home Support staff for every 7 Kinship Foster Family Homes receiving the Kinship Caregiver Support Services Add-On Service.
- 1 Child Placing Agency Aftercare Kinship Support Staff for every 25 Kinship Foster Family Homes receiving the Kinship Support Services Add-On Service.
Staff to Home ratio may vary based on operation's experience working with Kinship Caregivers and dependent on the complexity of the caseload.
Desired Individual Outcome
- Child Placing Agency must have clearly articulated child-centered outcome expectations that tie directly to the operation's Kinship Foster Family Home program and approach for delivering the Kinship Caregiver Support Services Add-On Service, and at a minimum supports the following:
- Child Safety
- Child Permanency
- Child Well-Being
- Additional measures must include the Child Placing Agency at a minimum tracking timeliness from referral to verification, placement stability, and percent and timeliness of permanency exits to reunification, relative adoption, and relative Permanent Managing Conservatorship (PMC) with Permanency Care Assistance for all children, youth, and young adults living in a Kinship Foster Family Home.
- Child Placing Agency must have infrastructure in place to collect, track, and evaluate/analyze child, youth, and young adult outcomes, including being able to analyze outcomes (both during placement and as a part of Aftercare Services) based on individual Kinship Foster Family Home and by Kinship Caregiver Home Support staff.
Aftercare Services
The Kinship Caregiver Support Services Add-On Service requires the planning and provision of Aftercare Services.
Funding to support the Aftercare Services has been built into the Child Placing Agency's daily Add-On Service rate while the child is in care, the Child Placing Agency will not receive a separate payment for the provision of the required Aftercare Services.
Upon child, youth, and young adult achieving permanency through Adoption or PMC with the Kinship Caregiver, and in situations where there may be the need for a temporary placement under a different Service Package or unpaid placement, but the SSCC or DFPS caseworker's intent is for child, youth, or young adult to return to the Kinship Caregiver's home, the Child Placing Agency, in collaboration with the Kinship Caregiver, will develop and produce a robust Aftercare Services plan (which may be incorporated as a part of the child's Service Plan). The Aftercare Services plan must include the name and contact information for the Child Placing Agency's Aftercare Kinship Support Worker, referrals for benefits, support, and continued services in the home, as well as a plan with times and dates set for weekly, then transitioning to twice a month, follow-up calls and/or meetings for a period of 6 months following discharge. Additional in-person or virtual ad-hoc meetings/staffings, as well as referrals for new or additional services, may be required during the 6-month aftercare period.
As part of the aftercare program, the Child Placing Agency must provide or refer Kinship Caregivers receiving the Kinship Caregiver Support Services Add-On Service to support group(s). Information on the support group(s) should be included in the Aftercare Services plan provided at the time of discharge.
The Child Placing Agency must maintain written documentation of all contacts or attempted contacts, referrals, and other case management support provided during the Aftercare Service period in the Child Placing Agency's case record for the child. A copy of the documentation should be provided to the SSCC or DFPS caseworker at the end of each month during the Aftercare Service period.