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Cross-System Collaboration in Kinship Care
Many community organizations may come into contact with kinship caregivers in need of services and support as they care for a relative child. Coordinating services for the families of kinship caregivers can improve child and family outcomes and the caregiver's ability to access needed services. Use the following resources to learn about initiatives to increase collaboration among organizations serving kinship caregivers, including State and local examples.
Breakthrough Series Collaborative: Supporting Kinship Care
Casey Family Programs
Presents promising practices and lessons learned from an initiative to improve kinship care services to children and families by establishing strong collaboration between the kinship care and child welfare systems.
Communities for All Ages: Planning Across Generations (PDF - 227 KB)
Henkin, Holmes, Walter, Greenberg, & Schwarz (2005)
Discusses the benefits of promoting interaction among initiatives that support children, families, and elders and presents promising practices for communities interested in planning and implementing collaborative efforts.
The Enhanced Home Visiting Pilot Project: How Early Head Start Programs Are Reaching Out to Kith and Kin Caregivers: Final Interim Report (PDF - 400 KB)
Paulsell, Mekos, Del Grosso, Banghart, & Nogales (2006)
Describes the efforts of Early Head Start programs to collaborate with community partners when providing services to kinship caregivers and lists which community partners were engaged.
Intergenerational Community as Intervention (PDF - 175 KB)
Eheart, Hopping, Power, & Racine (2005)
Describes a strategy for facilitating and supporting natural helping alliances and relationships among neighborhood residents that cross generational lines. The report highlights the role elders can play to improve the lives of children, youth, families, and communities.
Respite Care: Fact Sheet (PDF - 131 KB)
Generations United (2007)
Discusses types of respite care provided by agencies on aging and reviews the benefits of collaborating with other service systems that also offer respite programs to families.
Subsidized Guardianship: Collaborating to Identify New Policy Opportunities
Casey Family Services, Annie E. Casey Foundation (2007)
Presents the central themes discussed during a symposium for public officials, community advocates, and consumer representatives that addressed emerging efforts to implement subsidized guardianship programs and increasing collaboration within State agencies to improve services to relatives and families.
State and local examples
Denver Prevention Partnership: Protecting Children and Families (PDF - 1007 KB)
Lewis
Children's Rights, 11(2), 2009
Highlights a program to support kinship families through team decision making, resource guidance and referral, and legal advocacy services to prevent foster care placement.
Different Pathways to a Common Destiny: Grandparent Caregivers in the District of Columbia
Crewe
Journal of Health and Social Policy, 22(3/4), 2007
View Abstract
Offers recommendations to improve collaboration among community agencies serving grandparents raising grandchildren in the District of Columbia.
Family Support Services for Grandparents and Other Relatives Providing Care for Children of Women Who Are Substance
Abusing and HIV Positive
Family Support Services of the Bay Area (2005)
View Abstract and Document
Describes lessons learned and outcomes of a collaborative formed in Alameda County, CA, to provide integrated legal and social services to the families of relative caregivers. Also see the procedure manual.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: A Call To Action (PDF - 446 KB)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (2007)
Illustrates collaborative efforts among Federal, State, and local agencies in Atlanta, GA, to serve grandparent-headed households, and considers next steps for providing kinship care services in Region IV of the Administration for Children and Families, which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.