There may be times when the family needs assistance after kinship guardianship is in place. KinGAP in New York State is governed by various provisions of Social Services Law, Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act and New York State Family Assistance regulations. If a child is removed from the child’s parent or custodian by Social Services, the Department Kinship Care in … In New York, about three percent of all children 18 years and younger are in kinship care— living with relatives and their parents are not present in the household. In New York State, over 95% of kinship caregivers are not foster parents. The child must consent if age 18 or over. That means the person is NOT the child's parent, step-parent or adopted parent. Kinship legal guardianship is more stable than foster care, which is intended to be a temporary measure and which includes strict state oversight of the foster parent-child relationship. Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, has signed legislation to improve the New York Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP).For those who don't know, KinGAP is a program for youth in care where they achieve placement with a relative who's been their foster parent for at least six months. Families can vary by age, income, lifestyle, and marital status. Identify how kinship guardianship fits within New York State’s permanency landscape. Also, a state and national (with the FBI) criminal history check for a proposed guardian, or any other person age 18 or over who is currently residing in the home, is required. For a child not free for adoption, parental rights are still retained by the birth parents. The Kinship Guardian Assistance Payment (Kin-GAP) Program was established to promote permanency for foster children living with an approved relative caregiver by offering guardianship through the juvenile court when dependency is dismissed. The Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) is designed for a foster child to achieve a permanent placement with a relative who had been the child’s foster parent for at least six months. Assistance may continue until the child reaches the age of 18 or in some cases 21, as long as the guardian remains legally responsible for the child and continues to provide support for the child. An increased number of relatives (especially grandparents) were providing long-term care for children removed by DCP&P at a time when there was public pressure to limit the time children spend in foster care. This program provides financial support and in most cases medical coverage for the child, beginning with the child’s discharge from foster care to the guardian. A listing of these programs can be found at here, Preventive Services Practice Guidance Manual, Supervision and Treatment Services for Juveniles Program (STSJP), NYS Preferred Source Program for People who are Blind, 2020 DRAFT NYSCB VR Portion of 2020 NYS Combined State Plan, Contractor Agency Performance Index/Report Card, Applications For Services and Other Forms, Vocational Rehabilitation Services Manual. After the agreement is approved, a guardianship petition must be filed with the court and the court must issue letters of guardianship. Some of these services and benefits include: payment to the relative of up to $2,000 for expenses the relative might need to pay for legal services like attorney’s fees connected to obtaining guardianship, and for the child, education and training vouchers, up to $5,000 per year for college or vocational training costs, depending on availability. This publication reviews State laws and policies that allow a family member or other person with close ties to a child who has been placed in out-of-home care to become that's child's permanent guardian. NY Connects is your trusted place to go for free, unbiased information about long term services and supports in New York State for people of all ages or with any type of disability. The family can have a single parent or two parents. Guardianship has emerged as a permanency option for a child who … Family Foster Care: JCCA encourages partnerships between birth parents and foster parents so they can develop plans for a child’s return home or an alternate permanency plan. Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP), OCFS Booklet: Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) OCFS Booklet: Know Your Permanency Options: The Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) KinGAP program (OCFS page) ... TTY: New York Relay 711 or 1-800-421-1220 Fax: (585) 456-1676. Kinship care means that a child is raised by an adult relative other than a parent. When the local child ), COVID 19: Resources for Kinship Caregivers in NYS. These services are designed to help support permanency for children/youth living in adoptive families or living with a legal guardian. This KinGAP agreement will include the details of the financial assistance and medical coverage to be provided, including the monthly amount of assistance, how payment will be made, how payments may be adjusted, and additional services and benefits for which the guardian and child may be eligible. The level of financial support is similar to the maintenance payments received while the child was in foster care. Kinship Books has been in continuous operation for more than 50 years and is now under the care of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B). Since these requirements were met when the foster home was initially certified or approved, they are considered having been met for the KinGAP. In New York there are an estimated 195,000 children being raised by kin, the majority of whom are not in foster care. Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment Program (Kin-GAP) Frequently Asked Questions. An indicated report of abuse or maltreatment or a criminal record does not necessarily prevent Kinship Guardianship Assistance. Because, as stated above, the child’s parental rights need not be terminated to achieve Kinship Guardianship Assistance, the legal process from application to finalization can be considerably shorter than freeing a child and legalizing an adoption. The needs of families continue to evolve and adoption and legal guardianship/kinship caregiver support is critical to help families meet … If age appropriate, younger children should be consulted as well. Kinship refers to relatives and other non-parent caregivers that are providing full-time care for children. In order for KinGAP eligibility to be established, the case must have completed certain court hearings (a fact finding hearing for certain children who have been removed and a first permanency hearing for all children in foster care) before the agreement can be approved by the LDSS. Kinship care refers to a person who is raising a child that is not their own. The adult raising the child may be any type of relative, e.g. The foster child must have a strong attachment to the relative who proposes to be a relative guardian. New York State Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) A guide to KinGAP, a NY program for youth in care to achieve permanent placement with a relative who has been their foster parent for at least six months. Payments start once the letters of guardianship are issued. When Kinship Guardianship Assistance is in place, the guardian can make all necessary decisions for the child, including medical and educational decisions. For all kinship families in New York State, the Kinship Navigator provides information, referrals, and assistance via its website and toll-free telephone line. Chapter 1: Kinship Guardianship Assistance Background and Overview 1-1 Learning Highlights From This Chapter: Gain a general understanding of the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program in New York State. Certain functionalities of this site will be limited. The benefits of kinship care compared to traditional foster care with a non‐relative are evident, as Kinship Guardianship (KinGAP) KinGAP is the nickname for New York’s Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program. New York offers a kinship guardianship program that provides financial assistance for a foster parent related to the foster child. The foster child’s caseworker will be working with the child’s birth family and prospective relative guardian to explore other permanency options or determine that there are compelling reasons for the child not to return home or be adopted. Supportive services are available around the state through a network of Kinship Programs. Kinship Guardianship as a Permanency Option. gov/topics/systemwide/ laws-policies/state/. Kinship Care refers to grandparents, relatives, and family friends raising children when parents are unable to. Admission age: birth-20. NYS Kinship Navigator is a program of Catholic Family Center located in Rochester, NY © 2016 NYS Kinship Navigator A kinship caregiver is a grandparent, relative or family friend who is a full-time caregiver of a child that is not biologically their own. Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) Expansion (Chapter 384 of the Laws of 2017) Kinship care refers to grandparents, other relatives, and even family friends who are caring for children. The Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) is designed for a foster child to achieve a permanent placement with a relative who had been the child’s foster parent for at least six months. navigator@nysnavigator.org, NYS Kinship Navigator is a program of Catholic Family Center located in Rochester, NY © 2016 NYS Kinship Navigator, Public Assistance/Financial Assistance for Non-Parent Caregivers, Grandparent’s Rights: Custody and Visitation, Caregiving without Going to Court – Designation Forms, Requesting Identification Documents (Birth Certificates, Etc. Become familiar with the federal and state origins of the program. Most kinship caregivers are not foster parents and privately provide full time care for children. NYS Kinship Navigator is a program of Catholic Family Center located in Rochester, NY © 2016 NYS Kinship Navigator The Kinship Care Management program offers advocacy, outreach and support to kinship caregivers residing in Oneida and Herkimer Counties. Concerns about the child’s safety, or other reasons, may lead to the child’s relatives being asked if they can provide a temporary, safe, stable, and nurturing home for the child. The child must be consulted if age 14 or over. • KinGAP (Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program) • the child and relative are related by blood, marriage, or adoption, the caregiver is the appointed guardian of a half sibling, or a person who has a positive relationship with the child (fictive kin); Kinship Guardianship as a Permanency Option. The agency's supervision is no longer required. 87 N. Clinton Avenue Rochester, NY 14604 TTY: New York Relay 711 or 1-800-421-1220 In this book we’ll use … Legal guardianship is a judicially created relationship between a child and responsible adult in which The child may maintain contact with the parents, including visits, if appropriate to the circumstances. The foster child does not have to be free for adoption in order for Kinship Guardianship Assistance to be provided. A kinship caregiver is defined as any individual who is a relative, godparent, member of a child's tribe or clan, or an adult with a significant bond (fictive kin) who are raising a child or youth because the biological parents are not able or unwilling to do so. Know Your Permanency Options: The Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) – UPDATED MARCH 2018, OCFS Administrative Directive on KinGAP -UPDATED MARCH 2018, OCFS Administrative Directive on Continuation of the KinGAP to a Successor Guardian, Phone: 877-454-6463 The relative foster parent must apply for the KinGAP to the local department of social services (LDSS) that has custody of the child and enter into an agreement with the LDSS. What is Kinship Legal Guardianship? To access the statutes for a specific State or territory, visit the State Statutes Search. public (also called formal kinship care, “kinship”, or kinship foster care. This chapter, known as “KinGAP Expansion”, supports the State’s effort to expedite permanency for children and youth for whom reunification and adoption have been ruled out. Grandparents, other close relatives of a child, and non-related persons who assume full-time care of children in their own homes are all considered to be providing non-parent care or “kincare” as it … Kinship Navigator. https://www.childwelfare. Javascript is currently disabled or restricted on your computer. The family may have birth children, adoptive children, or no other children. If the family moves out of New York State after the relative assumes guardianship, the assistance will continue and the agreement will contain information on continuing medical coverage in the new state of residence. Provides financial support and usually medical coverage for youth. However, both “return home” and “adoption” must be ruled out as permanency options for the child. If a youth is 16 years of age or older when he or she leaves foster care and enters a kinship guardianship arrangement, independent living services may be available to assist the youth in preparing for adulthood and independence. Covered topics include: National, State, and Local Resources and Services for Kinship Families; Federal and State Laws about Kinship Care A KinGAP family must have a strong commitment to caring for the child on a permanent basis. Kinship care occurs when a child is raised by an adult other than a parent. The KLG program was introduced in 2002 as an alternative to adoption or long-term foster care placement. Sometimes children need to be placed in the care of a relative because they cannot stay in the home with their parents. New York’s 62 Counties The NYS Kinship Navigator is an information, referral and advocacy … What is Kinship Guardianship? The kinship guardianship process promotes an alternative to placing children in foster care by providing them a permanent home for a child. A fair hearing is available for families who seek to challenge the decision of an agency; for example, if the application is denied or not acted upon. These families rely on community supports to help keep children safe and offer stable homes for these at-risk children. To find statute information for a particular State, go to . Order Appointing Guardian of the Person or Permanent Guardian: 6-5-a: Order Appointing Kinship Guardian [Subsidized Kinship Guardian Program] and/or Permanent Guardian: 6-6: Letters of Guardianship of the Person of A Minor : 6-7: Certificate of Guardian of Person of A Minor : 6-8: Petition (Appointment of Standby Guardian of the Person) 6-9 The Kinship Navigator is a statewide program operated by Catholic Family Center and specially designed to provide an information and referral network for kinship caregivers across all of New York State. It is intended as an alternative to adoption and foster care that allows the kinship guardian to continue to receive payments similar to what they were receiving as a foster parent. The Kinship Navigator is a statewide program operated by Catholic Family Center and specially designed to provide an information, referral, and advocacy network for kinship caregivers across all of New York State. Kinship Foster Family Foster Care: Many children remain in the care of their extended families in kinship foster care. guardianship Kinship guardianship assistance Summaries of State laws. Rochester, NY 14604 Fax: (585) 456-1676, 87 N. Clinton Avenue In addition to being the child’s foster parent for at least six months, the prospective guardian must be related to the child by blood, adoption, or marriage, and the relationship can be to any degree of affinity. 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