When Olivia* fell behind on a few months’ rent and utilities, she found a “30 Day Pay or Vacate” notice on her door with an amount owing of nearly $8,000. The single mother of three had recently taken in her niece, DeLila* when DeLila’s parents could no longer safely care for her. With no time to prepare for the arrival of another child in her home, things quickly became overwhelming.
Thankfully, Washington’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) referred Olivia to Amara’s KinPLUS (Placement, Licensing, and Unconditional Support) pilot program that provides wrap-around support to kinship families while also helping them get licensed under the state’s new child-specific, foster care license. Once licensed, kinship families receive monthly foster care payments, just like traditional foster families do. That income helps stabilize families financially, allowing them to focus on meeting the needs of all the children in their homes.
During Olivia’s licensing process, DeLila maintained her close relationships with her siblings and strengthened her relationship with her Auntie Olivia. DeLila often visited her cousins and siblings, most of whom were living close by in other kinship placements, for BBQs and game nights. She even got to see her brother for sleepovers at Auntie Olivia’s house. Then, upon finishing the interviews and inspection for the home study, Olivia expressed the desire to add her nephew (DeLila’s brother) to her child-specific state license. After a short court hearing, Olivia was approved to care for both her niece and nephew. Today, this family is officially licensed. They continue to work with Amara’s Kinship Care Specialists for ongoing support – which currently includes searching for a new home big enough to fit the now family of six.