Advances in Supporting Kinship Caregivers - Part 1 (Rhode Island)

Child Welfare Information Gateway

This episode features a group of kinship-centered services and programs from Rhode Island. The State’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families created a separate team dedicated to family search and engagement that identifies and attempts to create relationships with family members or those with connections to children and youth. The department also leverages caregiver peers as mentors and navigators to provide emotional support and connect families to services and support. Throughout all of its engagement with families and caregivers, Rhode Island emphasizes a customer-service approach to working with families and recognizes the emotions and added stressors placed on grandparents, extended family members, and close connections when asked to bring children and youth into their homes.