Across
the country, more than six million children -- approximately
1 in 12 children -- are living in households headed by grandparents
or other relatives. The District of Columbia has
more than 113,000 children living in households headed by grandparents
or other relatives. In many of these households, grandparents
and other relatives are the primary caregivers (“kinship caregivers”)
for children whose parents cannot or will not care for them
due to substance abuse, illness and death, abuse and neglect,
economic hardship, incarceration, divorce, domestic violence,
and other family and community crises.
A Look
at the Numbers: Kinship Care in South Dakota
The data below
show the numbers of grandparents who are living in households
with at least one grandchild under the age of 18, as well
as the numbers of grandparents who are the primary caregivers
for these grandchildren. These numbers were reported by the
2000 U.S. Census and are available for every place (as defined
by the U.S. Census Bureau) in the country, including cities,
towns, villages, and boroughs, on the U.S. Census website.
| |
Grandparents
Living in Households with One or More Own Grandchildren
Under 18 |
Grandparents
Responsible for Meeting the Basic Needs of Grandchildren |
| Location |
# |
# |
| United
States |
5,771,671 |
2,426,730 |
| South
Dakota |
8,019 |
4,632 |
| Sioux
Falls city |
996 |
537 |
| Rapid
City city |
708 |
385 |
| Aberdeen
city |
172 |
114 |
*These data
are taken from the U.S. Census Bureau Table DP-2. Profile
Selected Social Characteristics: 2000.
Kinship
Care Initiatives in South Dakota
In South Dakota,
public and private agencies and grassroots coalitions of grandparents
and other relative caregivers have begun working together
to expand the services available to kinship caregivers who
are caring for children outside of the foster care system.
Several of
the major kinship care programs and supports are listed below.
Additional support groups can be found through the AARP
Grandparent Information Center Database. Call 1-800-424-3410,
e-mail information requests to gic@aarp.org, or search
AARP’s online kinship care support group database at http://www.aarp.org/grandparents/searchsupport/.
Additional
state and national kinship care resources and supports
are available on the Generations United website at http://www.gu.org,
and GrandsPlace at http://www.grandsplace.org and
Grandparent Again at http://www.grandparentagain.com,
two websites coordinated by grandparents raising grandchildren.
Support
and Advocacy for Kinship Care Families: The Grandparents
as Parents Support Group is facilitated by grandparents and
other relatives caring for children in the Sioux Falls area.
Begun five years ago through the Southeast Mental Health Center
in Sioux Falls, this support group has also engaged in broader
advocacy efforts including speaking engagements, meetings
with local media representatives, and reaching out to other
kinship care families through the local AARP office and the
Center for Active Generations. The group meets monthly and
regularly invites expert speakers to talk about issues affecting
kinship care families. Contact: Sharon Hall at (605)
361-2645 or enrwh@msn.com.
Kinship
Care and South Dakota’s Foster Care System
Sometimes
children in the care of the states are placed in foster care
with grandparents or other relatives. In South Dakota,
the Department of Social Services, Child Protection Services
reports:
Number
of children in kinship foster placements: As of May 20,
2001, there were a total of 1,117 children in out-of-home
placements under the supervision of the South Dakota Department
of Social Services and in Tribal and private agency custody.
Of these children, 183 (16.4%) were placed with kin.
Preference
for kinship placements: South Dakota state procedures
require that kin be considered first when an out-of-home placement
is sought for an abused or neglected child, either “as a temporary
placement until the child(ren) can be returned to the home
of the parent(s) or guardian(s)” or as “the permanent plan
for the child(ren).”
Licensing
for kinship foster parents: There is no separate licensing
program for kinship foster parents. Kin have to meet
the same licensing standards and training requirements and
receive the same foster care payment rate as non-kin foster
parents. In some cases, kinship foster parents are eligible
for one-time funds to purchase beds, dressers, and other items
that they need in order to care for the children.
Subsidized
Guardianship: In addition to foster care payments and
other benefits available to kin raising children in the foster
care system, some states also have subsidized guardianship
programs. South Dakota has a subsidized guardianship program
that provides a subsidy to eligible children who are at least
twelve years of age (with some exceptions) and children who
have been in foster care for at least six months. The subsidy
amount is based on the needs of the child, not to exceed the
current foster care rate for the child. The state must
document that the child cannot return home and that adoption
is not possible or in the child’s best interest. Medical
coverage is not provided. Contact: Duane E. Jenner,
ACSW, Foster Care Program Specialist, at (605) 773-3227 or
Duane.Jenner@state.sd.us.
State foster
care contact: Questions about kin foster care placements
should be directed to Duane E. Jenner, ACSW, Foster Care Program
Specialist, at (605) 773-3227 or Duane.Jenner@state.sd.us.
Other Supports
for South Dakota Kinship Care Families
Children raised
by kinship caregivers are often eligible for a range of state
and federal programs. In most cases, kinship caregivers may
apply for these programs on a child’s behalf even though they
are not the child’s parents or legal guardians. Some
examples of these programs include:
Cash assistance:
Cash assistance may be available to children and their grandparents
and other relative caregivers through South Dakota’s Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). Kinship care families
may also be eligible for food stamps to help meet their children’s
food and nutrition needs. For more information about
both these programs, contact (605) 773-3612 or log on to http://www.state.sd.us/social.
Health
insurance: Grandparents and other relative caregivers
may apply for free or low-cost health insurance on behalf
of the children they are raising through the South Dakota
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In some
cases, caregivers may also be eligible for free coverage under
Medicaid. For more information about how to apply to
the Children’s Health Insurance Program, call 1-800-305-3064
or (605) 773-4678 or log on to http://www.state.sd.us/social/medical/chip.
State Laws
and Policies
South Dakota
currently does not have any state laws in effect specifically
directed at kinship care families.
