Kinship Resources

More than 6 million children in the United States, about 1 in 12 children, are living in households headed by grandparents or other relatives. In many of these households, grandparents or other relatives are the primary caregivers for children whose parents are unable to care for them because of:

It may have been a while since you have parented a child or maybe you have never been around kids until the child moved in. Relative caregivers are often thrown into parenting situations for which they aren't completely prepared. Below are helpful resources to help you become better equipped.

 

Support for Kinship Caregivers

Have a Question?
Contact the IFAPA Kinship Peer Mentor:
Angela Stark
515-261-7255 (Dsm area)
877-788-7255 (Toll-free)
starkifapa@aol.com

 

Support Groups for Kinship Caregivers

Kinship Connection Support Group, Des Moines
Meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month from 6pm to 7:30pm
Children & Families of Iowa, 1111 University Ave, Conference Room A, Des Moines
Kinship Connection is a resource for family members and extended family members who are raising children whose parents are unable to provide a stable home. Kinship Connection offers a bi-weekly support group for caregivers to learn about community resources, kinship parenting challenges, reunification, blending families and support. Incentives are provided bi-weekly to participants in an effort to help with family immediate needs. For additional info, contact Natalie Leverette, Program Coordinator, at 515-988-0793 or e-mail leverettehsresources@live.com.

Relatives As Parents Programs (RAPP), Davenport
Meets every other Sunday afternoon from 1pm to 3pm
Palmer College of Chiropractic, Davenport
Generations Area Agency on Aging offers a support group to caregivers in Scott County who are raising children other than their own. Caregivers may attend any or all meetings. Big Brother-Big Sisters can provide "mentors" to children ages 6 and older at the same time and location. The program is free and refreshments will be served. For more info about this support group, call Generations Area Agency on Aging at 563-324-9085.

Kinship Support Group, Muscatine
Meets every 2nd Tuesday (9:00 to 10:30am) & every 4th Tuesday (1:00 to 2:30pm)
Muscatine Community Y - 1823 Logan Street, Muscatine
The Muscatine Community Y offers a variety of services to Grandparents (and other relatives) Raising Grandchildren. Grandparents who are raising their grandchildren meet twice each month for 1.5 hours in a comfortable atmosphere that is conducive to sharing and a professional in our community regarding issues unique to grandparents raising their grandchildren presents four educational Workshops each year. Refreshments are provided at each meeting. Grandparents come together with trained facilitators and volunteers to gain information regarding issues that are unique to their situation while at the same time increasing their parenting skills. The grandparents gain support by networking with others who are living in similar situations. They are also given education regarding legal issues, medical care, childcare, etc. Two facilitators trained to work specifically with grandparents raising their grandchildren staff each group meeting as well as one volunteer. This group has been in existence for five years. Curriculum consists of group support, videos, national RAPP (Relatives as Parents) Foundation materials, “Active Parenting Today” which promotes positive discipline, “Generations United” workbooks, and guest speakers comprised of local professionals. The target population for this group is grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. For more information please contact the Diana Broderson at the Muscatine Community Y at 563-263-9996 or at dbroderson@muscatiney.org. Families do not need to live in Muscatine county to access these services.

Want to Start Your Own Kinship Support Group?
Visit the following link to learn how to start up your own support group.
Training Manual for Starting a Kinship Support Group

 

Publications

Raising Relatives' Children Booklet
The Iowa Foster and Adoptive Parents Association (IFAPA) seeks to support kinship caregivers in a variety of ways.  IFAPA created this packet of information for kinship families and those that serve them.  Kinship caregivers are grandfathers, grandmothers, aunts, uncles, older siblings and even great-grandparents. This booklet covers caregiver's feelings, children's issues, financial assistance, health insurance, child care, respite, educational issues, raising children of color, talking with children about their parents and much more helpful information. VIEW BOOKLET

Kinship Caretakers - How to Navigate Iowa's Child Welfare System
This guidebook was created to help Iowa kinship caretakers navigate the DHS and Juvenile Court systems when they are caring for a relative’s child. The booklet includes information on the different types of care a kinship caretaker can provide, financial assistance programs, community resources, and questions to ask DHS when considering a kinship placement. VIEW BOOKLET

IFAPA produces many other helpful publications for foster, adoptive and kinship parents. To view these publications, click on the following links:
IFAPA Lifebook Pages
IFAPA Newsletters
IFAPA Publications

 

Crisis / Referral Help Phone Numbers

Important Phone Numbers for Foster Families Form
Local Crisis / Referral Help Phone Numbers
Iowa Crisis / Referral Help Phone Numbers
National Crisis / Referral Help Phone Numbers

 

Preparing Your Taxes

Federal Tax Benefits for Foster & Adoption Parents and Kinship Caregivers (2009 Return)
(If you have additional tax questions, please contact your tax advisor.)

 

DHS Practice Bulletins

Fostering Connections for Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008
Permanency for Children: Achieving & Maintaining Adoptions
Permanency for Children: Another Planned Living Arrangement (APPLA)
State and Federal Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)
Returning Children Home Safely & Permanently (Reunification)
Permanency for Children Introduction
Concurrent Planning
Safe Case Closure
Case Planning in Child Welfare
Comprehensive Functional Family Assessment
Maltreated Infants and Toddlers in Child Welfare (Early Access)
Father Engagement
Social Worker Training
Education Success for Children in Children Welfare
Improving Health Care for Children in Foster Care
Children in Child Welfare: Mental and Behavioral Health
Repeat Maltreatment
Safety & Risk of Harm
Worker's Role: Visits with Children
Relative Search & Placement
Close to Home
Involving Fathers
Model of Practice
Chronic Neglect

 

Other Kinship Links / Resources

AARP GrandCare Toolkit - Resources for Grandparents Raising Children
American Bar Association - Kinship Care Legal Research Center
Brookdale Foundation - RAPP (Relatives as Parents Program)
Child Welfare League of America
Children of Alcoholics Foundation (and other substance abuse issues)
Children's Defense Fund
Generations United - National Center of Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children
Grandfamilies State Law and Policy Resource Center
Grandparents.com - Grandparents Caring for Grandkids Forum
Grandparents.com - When You're a Parent Again
Grandparents.com - The Grandparents Rights to Legal Resources
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren - USA
Iowa Association of Area Agencies on Aging
Iowa Department of Elder Affairs
Iowa State University - University Extension
Minnesota Kinship Caregivers Association (First Steps - Getting Started Raising Relatives' Children booklet)
National Center on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
National Committee of Grandparents for Children's Rights
University of Georgia (UGA) - Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Series:
UGA - Moving Your Grandchild Into Your Home
UGA - Helping Grandchildren Stay in Contact with Parents
UGA - Caring for Yourself
UGA - Helping Your Grandchild Deal with the Death of a Parent
UGA - What You Need to Know about Abuse and Neglect
UGA - Accessing Resources in Your Community
UGA - Legal Issues in Caring for Your Grandchildren
UGA - Caring for Infants and Toddlers
UGA - The Teenage Years
UGA - Helping Your Preschoolers be Ready for School
UGA - Helping Your Grandchildren Succeed in School
UGA - Fun Learning Activities for Your and Your Grandchildren
UGA - Child Care Concerns
UGA - Disciplining Your Grandchildren
University of Wisconsin Extension - Grandparenting Today (Over 100 Fact Sheets)

 

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