Kinship caring is defined by childwelfare.gov as "the care of children by relatives or, in some jurisdictions, close family friends (often referred to as fictive kin.) Relatives are the preferred resource for children who must be removed from their birth parents because it maintains the children's connection with their families."
Kinship caregivers could be blood relatives or fictive kin.
Fictive kin could be any safe person connected to the child or family such as:
- Family Friends
- Godparents
- Coaches
- Pastors
- Teachers
In order to become a kinship foster parent, the caregiver must do the following:
- Paperwork (background checks, physicals, DMV checks, etc.)
- Income, Budget, and Employment Verifications (if applicable)
- 27 Hours of Kinship Foster Parent Training
- At least one home visit before approval
If you know a child or children affected by foster care, please consider calling our kinship specialist, Emily Voldahl by calling (540) 283-8820 or emailing evoldahl@roanokecountyva.gov for more information.