Kinship Care
Kinship Care is the care of a child by a relative for which the relative receives a monthly payment and Medicaid for the child. This type of care can be court ordered or voluntary. Voluntary Kinship Care refers to an arrangement between a parent and a relative for the care of a child without involvement by the child welfare system. It has been determined that the basic needs and safety of the child can be better met with the relative than with the parent, and could be long term (some relative caregivers have guardianship over their relative children). Court Ordered Kinship Care refers to a situation in which the Juvenile Court has ordered a child to be placed in the care of a relative. In these instances, the relative caregiver is required to obtain a foster care license to receive Kinship Care benefits and to maintain placement of the child. There is an assigned social worker that monitors the progress of the family's care and works to achieve permanency for the child.
The Kinship Care program is designed to help support the child and the relative caregiver during the time a child is living outside their own home, either temporarily or permanently.
For Additional information on Kinship Care
To receive an application to determine eligibility in Burnett County, contact the Kinship Care Coordinator listed above.
Please visit the Department of Children and Families' new Kinship Navigator Portal. It contains resources to help you with medical care, support payments, and more for the children in your care.
For additional support, check out: Burnett County Foster Closet Incorporated.