Many kinship caregivers find it difficult to enroll the children they are raising in school or authorize the children’s participation in school-related activities without legal guardianship. Some caregivers may need information on how to advocate on behalf of their children for special education programs and related services. Other kinship care families may benefit from additional information on how to take a more active role in their child’s general education.

Through collaboration with state and local education agencies, Kinship Navigators assist families in navigating the educational system, connecting them to appropriate resources, and ensuring that a child’s educational needs are met. Navigators may accompany caregivers to school meetings, such as IEP meetings. Kinship Navigators may also connect families to academic resources (e.g., tutoring, GED programs, credit recovery programs, college preparatory programs, and educational summer programs).

The role of a kinship caregiver can be overwhelming and time-consuming, detouring caregivers from exploring their legal options and considering court involvement for the children they are raising. Formal legal arrangements may not be the best option for every kinship care family; however, formal legal arrangements can provide valuable resources and a sense of permanency and security for caregivers and their children. Navigators can help kinship families consider some important questions to help them decide whether they want to ask a court for formal legal authority to continue caring for their children. Through collaboration with a local Legal Aid office or law firm, caregivers may receive  services at no cost or on a sliding fee scale based on your income.

The Kinship Connections of Wyoming program facilitates training to help kinship families understand permanency options. Training is often conducted in collaboration with a program partner(s), such as child welfare, the courts system, and local foster care licensing. Kinship families whose children are involved in a child welfare court case are provided with a basic orientation of the dependency and neglect process, home evaluation, option of becoming a licensed foster care provider, and familiarization to other kinship support services. Kinship families who children are not involved in a child welfare court case are provided with a basic orientation of the different permanency options provided through family court.

Many grandparents and other relatives look forward to a time, later in life, to work on their own projects and enjoy retirement. For kinship caregivers, that time may never come. Unexpectedly, they are asked to raise children for the second time around, often without adequate family, financial, or community supports. As a result, kinship caregivers commonly report that they feel alone in their struggles. They lose touch with old friends who don’t have the same caregiving responsibilities. They may no longer have the time and energy to stay active with local community or faith-based organizations. This sense of isolation can become overwhelming for some kinship caregivers, making it even more difficult to care properly for themselves and the children they are raising. Our Kinship Navigators will help kinship caregivers identify their struggles and link them to support groups that fit their needs. Kinship Navigators can also connect families to community-based services that can not only meet their needs, but also meet their social and recreational desires (e.g., hot meals, respite, after school programs, teen mentorship, adult education, and physical activities).

It is our duty to promote effective partnerships among public and private agencies to ensure kinship caregiver families are served. We will assist formal and informal caregivers to learn about, locate, and utilize existing programs and services to meet their needs and the needs of the children they are raising. We will also promote partnerships between public and private agencies, including schools, community-based or faith-based organizations, and relevant government agencies, to increase their knowledge of the needs of kinship care families to promote better services and support for those families.

Kinship caregivers often encounter unforeseen issues in their journey to raise the children in their care. These issues may include a lack of financial resources, legal matters, difficulties finding and accessing support, responding to emotional and/or behavioral issues of the children, and facing stressful family dynamics. Our Kinship Navigators will act as an advocate and liaison for grandparents or other kin who are needing assistance with navigating the supports and services network.