Friday, August 09, 2024
Do you know a grandparent or older adult relative raising a child or caring for an adult with disabilities? If so, the Kinship Family program can help! Through grants from the Older Americans Act and the State of Illinois, AgeGuide’s network partners provide valuable support for kinship families through case management, respite services, financial assistance, and mental health support.
Kinship Family Program
If you are a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or other relative raising a child in place of their parents, or caring for an adult with disabilities, then you are a kinship family! You are not alone, and there are many services available to assist you.
The Kinship Family Program provides valuable resources to older adults who are raising children 18 and under or caring for adult aged 18-59 with disabilities. The program includes:
- Case management services provide information, resources, and assistance in accessing benefit programs.
- Alternative care options called respite services that allow caregivers to take a break from caring for loved ones including:
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- Day care
- After school programs
- Camps
- Financial assistance called gap-filling services helps cover a variety of goods or services such as:
- School supplies (textbooks, notebooks, folders)
- Educational and Athletic fees
- Housing Expenses
- Food and supplies (clothing, diapers)
- Legal services assist in obtaining legal guardianship or legal custody.
- Individual counseling services improve the well-being of the kinship caregiver.
- *Support groups provide kinship caregivers with an environment that allows them to interact with others facing similar situations.
- *Training & Education sessions build skills and teach kinship families how to meet their needs.
*Services limited to grandparents/relatives age 55+ due to grant limitations
The Kinship Family Program resources are available in the AgeGuide 8-county region: DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties. Please visit the link below to contact your local county provider to receive additional information about services.
Kinship Family Program Resources
