Strengthening Kinship Support by Title VI Native American Aging Programs

Relatives often step in to raise children when parents cannot, but kinship families can face significant financial, caregiving, transportation, and service-access challenges. This guide from the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network examines how Title VI Native American Aging Programs are supporting older relative caregivers and the children they raise. A national survey found that 84% of Title VI programs provide at least one service specifically for older kin caregivers.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, the guide offers practical examples of how programs can work across systems to reach kinship families. Services such as information and referral, assistance accessing benefits, caregiver education, respite, counseling, and support groups can complement the economic assistance TANF agencies provide. The guide can also help practitioners identify potential partners, particularly when serving Native families and older caregivers who may not initially identify themselves as part of a "kinship" system.