Kinship Foster Care

The goal of kinship foster care is to provide the child with a stable, familiar environment while the situation with the birth parents is addressed, and to keep the child connected to their family and cultural roots. Kinship caregivers, who may include grandparents, aunts, uncles, or close family friends, are typically given priority when a child needs to be removed from their home, as it is believed to offer the child a sense of continuity and emotional stability.

The goal of foster care is to provide a safe, temporary home for children who cannot live with their birth parents, either until they are reunited with them or until legal permanent custody is established. Permanency in foster care means that children are placed in a stable, long-term environment without the need for continued involvement from child protective services. This can involve returning to their birth parents, or a kinship caregiver obtaining legal custody through Permanent Managing Conservatorship (PMC).

While children are placed in a foster home, kinship caregivers receive case management services and are reimbursed monthly for the care of the children, with the reimbursement amount based on the child’s level of care. This support continues until permanency is achieved.

The purpose of adoption is to provide a permanent, lifelong home for a child when their birth parents are unable to care for them. Adoption requires the termination of parental rights for both birth parents, ensuring the child becomes legally part of the adoptive family. If you are pursuing adoption through Arrow and parental rights have already been terminated, you can opt for our Kinship Straight Adoption program.

This option allows you to finalize the adoption after completing a home study, without the need for foster placement. As a result, your home will not need to meet foster care requirements, reducing paperwork and training. Your FHD (Family Home Developer) will clarify the specific requirements for fostering versus adoption.