Kinship families deserve support when caring for relative children. KinPLUS serves kinship caregivers and their families with relative child Placements, state child-specific Licensing, and Unconditional Support, including warm introductions to state kinship navigators and resource partners.
KinPLUS is a federally-funded pilot partnership program designed to support kinship families in King County. Amara and its partners, the University of Washington School of Social Work and the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), are one of five select partnerships across the United States, all working toward creating lasting change in the foster care system. Together, we hope more kids who cannot stay home with their parents will be able to thrive with extended family or close friends.
Learn moreKinship families in King County who may be eligible for KinPLUS need to first apply for foster care licensing with DCYF for possible referral. dcyf.fostercarelicensingregion4@dcyf.wa.gov
Additional information about becoming a child-specific, state-licensed caregiver for relative children can be found on DCYF’s website here. Once licensed, kinship caregivers become eligible for monthly cash payments, such as those received by licensed foster parents, and other state supports, creating greater stability for children and families.
This program is supported by the Children’s Bureau (CB), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $2.5 million with 100% percentage funded by CB/ACF/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CB/ACF/HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please see Stevens Amendment at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policyrequirements#chapter-8.
If you are interested in building a collaborative relationship with the parent(s) of the child(ren) you are caring for, our Collaborative Parenting Workshop, a brave space for kinship caregivers and parents, can help. It’s a free, six-week online course designed especially for kinship families.
