Kinship Care and the Child Welfare System

Sometimes grandparents, other relatives, or family friends care for children when their parents are unable to care for them. This arrangement, known as kinship care, can occur with or without the involvement of a child welfare agency, depending on the situation. This Children’s Bureau factsheet is designed to help kin caregivers — including grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings, and other relatives as well as family friends caring for children — work effectively with the child welfare system. Financial resources to support kinship caregivers, including TANF, are referenced in this fact sheet. At the end of the fact sheet, there are links to resources covering information on the child welfare system and on kinship care.