Kinship care occurs when a child is raised by an adult other than a parent. Kinship care is different than foster care, and more than 95 percent of kinship caregivers in New York are not classified as foster parents. Grandparents , other close relatives of a child, and non-related persons who assume full-time care of children in their own homes are all considered to be providing non-parent care or “kincare” as it is sometimes called.
Children routinely enter kinship care as a result of an unstable home life, death, incarceration, or military deployment. Alcohol or substance abuse on the part of the parent, mental illness, or abuse, neglect , or abandonment can all be situations in which a child enters kinship care. It is important to understand the process by which a child goes to live with a kincare provider as well as to understand the rights of the carer.
How Do Children Enter Kinship Care?