CDSS Programs Foster Care Kinship Care Resources for Kinship Caregivers

Resources for Kinship Caregivers

Text logo: think of us Vital Support

California Kinship Navigator provides free personal assistants, who make it quick and easy to get the resources you need. This program connects current and former foster youth and caregivers to resources such as: food, housing, employment and education, advocacy, and more! It's presented by the Department of Social Services in partnership with Think of Us. Get support from a personal assistant today!

Text logo: think of us Vital Support

Family Urgent Response System (FURS) is a Free 24/7/365 Hotline with a coordinated statewide, regional, and county-level system that delivers effective trauma-informed supports for all current and former foster youth and their caregivers. Through phone- based response and county-level in-home, in-person mobile response during situations of instability, FURS preserves the relationship of the caregiver and the child or youth. Look at FURS for more information and learn how to get immediate help for any big or small issues you may be having.

Text logo: think of us Vital Support

Kinship Support Services Program (KSSP) is a free program designed to provide resources and support to help improve outcomes for families formed through kinship care. KSSP is funded by some California counties and offered in collaboration with community-based service providers in county specific locations. Look at Kinship Support Services Program to find out if KSSP is offered in the county where you reside.

Text logo: think of us Vital Support

Foster Kinship Care Education (FKCE) is a community college-based program providing free, in-person and live interactive online classes as part of a child-centered Resource Family Approval process. Classes help resource families including special populations such as American Indian Tribes and families with English as their second language meet RFA training requirements such as Child and Adolescent Development, Reasonable and Prudent Parenting, Effects of Trauma, Permanence, Well-being and Education Needs as well as specialized topics, such as caring for children with special health care needs and understanding the Indian Child Welfare Act. Program offerings vary by college. Please email fkcehelp@cccco.edu to be connected to an FKCE program near you or contact your local county agency to see what training options are available to you. In addition, you may also refer to RFA Program for more information on training requirements.

Text logo: think of us Vital Support

Foster Parent College (FPC) offers self-paced training courses, available 24/7. These classes can help caregivers understand challenging behavior, recognize the underlying causes of the behavior, and discover fresh ideas to improve the behavior. Many agencies are affiliates of FosterParentCollege.com and accept FPC course certificates for their parents' annual training requirements. All future and current resource parents can utilize the Affiliate Map on the website to find an agency in their area. Please refer to the Resource Family Approval Program for more information on training requirements.

Text logo: think of us Vital Support Text logo: think of us Vital Support

The Caregiver Support Webinar Series consists of live and recorded webinars provided by The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and the California Alliance of Caregivers (CAC) on topics that have been requested by caregivers. These webinars provide information about the laws and policies that affect caregivers and their foster/kinship children, as well as providing popular resources and information and include discussions from speakers and panels with lived experience. Please follow this link to view a past episode in the series.

Text logo: think of us Vital Support

The Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI), an advocacy strategy of the Youth Law Center, provides free resources in California. Through QPI, California advocates, including kin caregivers and those who support them, can access a wide range of topics from our nationwide network to improve practice and policy, including topics such as Child and Adolescent Development, Birth and Foster Parent Relationships, Permanence and Stability, Advocacy, Kinship Support, Youth Perspectives, Grief and Loss, Transitions, and many more.

ACL/ACIN:

For Additional Information:
Foster Caregiver Policy and Support
Unit 744 P Street, MS 8-13-78
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 651-7465
CaregiversForYouth@DSS.ca.gov

Contact Us

Foster Caregiver Policy and Support
Unit 744 P Street, MS 8-13-78
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 651-7465
CaregiversForYouth@DSS.ca.gov