Bridging Systems for Kinship Families: Guide for Replication

Kinship families, which include grandparents and other relatives raising children when their parents cannot, often need support from multiple service systems. However, navigating child welfare, housing, health care, education, and financial assistance can be challenging when these systems operate separately. The Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network, in partnership with Child Trends, developed this guide to help communities replicate three models of successful collaboration. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) agencies, the guide offers practical ideas for strengthening partnerships, coordinating referrals, and making better use of existing community resources. TANF practitioners can use these approaches to help kinship caregivers connect with services that support family stability and reduce the burden of navigating multiple programs independently.