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 Washington
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 |
| Washington
State |
84,592 |
35,341 |
| Seattle
city |
6,715 |
2,180 |
| Spokane
city |
2,296 |
948 |
| Tacoma
city |
3,869 |
1,856 |
| Olympia
city |
318 |
121 |
*These data
are taken from the U.S. Census Bureau Table DP-2. Profile
Selected Social Characteristics: 2000.
Kinship
Care Initiatives in Washington
In Washington,
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.
Statewide
Website for Support and Information: The Cooperative Extension-Washington
State University, Aging and Adult Services Administration,
and the State Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP) Coalition
developed a Relatives as Parents website in 2001. This site
contains information on support groups, legal resources, links
to other related websites, a video lending library, articles
on how to start and maintain support groups, and access to
new resource guides. Visit this site at http://parenting.wsu.edu/relative/index.htm.
Legal Services
for Kinship Caregivers: Columbia Legal Services and the
Northwest Justice Project are statewide programs that provide
legal assistance to kinship caregivers. The Northwest
Justice Project serves all of Washington except King County,
which is served by Columbia Legal Services. Kinship
caregivers in the King County region may receive assistance
in the areas of family law, benefits, housing, education,
and at-risk youth through Columbia Legal Services after a
case assessment and determination that the office has the
resources to represent the caregiver. Kinship caregivers
in the King County region may also go to the Northwest Justice
Project website, http://www.nwjustice.org, and look under
the King County Legal Resources site for further information
on legal resources available to them. Kinship caregivers
in the remaining counties in Washington state may call the
Northwest Justice Project CLEAR Line at 1-888-201-1014 in
order to have their case assessed and receive information
and referrals. Contact: Janet Helson, Columbia Legal
Services, at (206) 464-5911 x219 or janet.helson@columbialegal.org.
Resource
Guides and Videos for Kinship Care Families: There are
a number of comprehensive resource guides and videos for grandparents
raising grandchildren in Washington State.
The Northwest
Women’s Law Center offers Grandparents Raising Grandchildren:
A Legal Guide for Washington State. This guide provides
comprehensive and easy-to-read advice on issues ranging from
temporary parental consent agreements to visitation rights
to the Indian Child Welfare Act. Contact: Northwest Women’s
Law Center at (206) 621-7691 or nwwlc@nwwlc.org.
The Aging
and Adult Services Administration of the Department of Social
and Health Services along with the State RAPP Coalition has
compiled Relatives as Parents: A Resource Guide for Relatives
Raising Children (publication number DSHS 22-996[x]).
This guide provides numerous community, state, and federal
resources to help relatives caring for children. Contact:
Hilari Hauptman, Aging and Adult Services Administration,
P.O. Box 45600, Olympia, WA 98504-5600, call (360) 725-2556
or e-mail: haupthp@dshs.wa.gov.
Mediation
for Kinship Caregivers: An Alternative to the Courtroom
is a ten and a half minute video, developed by the State RAPP
Coalition in partnership with the Dispute Resolution Centers
of Washington State, that educates viewers (e.g. relatives,
support group leaders, mediators, and parents of children)
on how mediation can work to resolve family conflicts. It
is available for purchase at $25.00 plus postage. Contact:
Aging and Adult Services Administration, P.O. Box 45600, Olympia,
WA 98504-5600, Attention: Hilari Hauptman or call (360) 725-2556
or: haupthp@dshs.wa.gov.
Support
Services for Relatives Over the Age of 60: The National
Family Caregiver Support Program (FCSP) offers support groups,
parenting classes, information about available services, respite
care, and a family counseling service to relative caregivers
over age 60 who are caring for children under age 19.
The programs are offered in many areas around the state and
can be accessed through local Area Agencies on Aging. Certain
eligibility rules apply, and services vary by geographic area.
Additionally, for family or other unpaid caregivers caring
for someone 19 years of age and over, additional services
are available throughout the state through the FCSP. To find
out more, log on to http://www.aasa.dshs.wa.gov and click
on “caregiving”.
State Relatives
as Parents Program (RAPP) Coalition: A coalition of roughly
40 public and private organizations that serve kinship care
families, kinship caregivers, and others interested stakeholders
meets regularly to address issues facing kinship caregivers
across the state. A Brookdale Foundation grant provided the
initial funding for this Statewide RAPP Coalition. Contact:
Hilari Hauptman, Department of Social and Health Services
(DSHS), Aging and Adult Services, at (360) 725-2556 or haupthp@dshs.wa.gov.
Support
Groups and Resources for Tribes: The Northwest Washington
Area Agency on Aging has a Tribal Outreach Coordinator who
is heading up a Grandparents Raising Grandchildren project.
A new support group is underway for kinship caregivers located
on the Lummi Reservation. The Nooksack Indian Tribe is also
implementing a similar support group. In addition, an information
and resource guide entitled, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren,
was recently completed. This guide includes a summary of the
Indian Child Welfare Act, self-care tips, information on children,
and grief and chemical dependency in the family. The guide
is being distributed to the six tribes in the three county
area. Assistance with locating accessible legal assistance
is also available. Contact: Sharon Wolf, Northwest Regional
Council, at (360) 676-6749 or wolfsl@dshs.wa.gov.
Support
for Kinship Care Families: The East County Senior Center
runs a Grandparents Support Group for kinship caregivers and
their families in East County. The program provides
a weekly support group with child care, respite activities
for children and grandparents, and education opportunities
for caregivers within the community. The Center also
provides speakers at support meetings to address the needs
and concerns of the caregivers. Contact: Kristen
Marie Wentworth, Program Coordinator, at (360) 805-8199.
Local Support
Services for Kinship Caregivers: The Seattle-King County
Department of Public Health offers the Grandparents and Other
Kin Re-Parenting Program. The program, which began 11
years ago, provides a weekly support group for kinship caregivers.
The group also offers counseling, crisis-intervention, outreach,
and other services that kinship caregivers may request.
The program offers child care during the meeting upon request
and hosts expert speakers to address the needs and concerns
of kinship caregivers. Contact: Abby Moon Jordan, Program
Director, at (206) 731-2557 or abbymj@u.washington.edu.
The Family
Support Center in Olympia offers the Kinship Care Support
Group for grandparents and other relatives caring for
other relatives’ children in the Thurston County area.
The support group provides weekly meetings for caregivers
as well as local expert speakers to address the needs and
concerns of kinship caregivers. The Center also provides
caregivers with resources and referrals. It also offers
child care during the meetings and hosts recreational activities
for the kinship care families. Contact: Howard
Winkler, Support Group Coordinator, at (360) 754-2629 or howard@familysupportctr.org.
Support
and Advocacy for Kinship Care Families: Parents Again:
Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Relative Children
organizes support groups and provides monthly newsletters,
information and referrals, and a library of kinship care materials.
It coordinates children’s therapy groups and provides advocacy
services to relative caregivers in Clark County. It also has
contact with groups in adjoining Cowlitz County and has recently
added respite care services through a partnership with the
local YMCA and a quarterly respite service partnering with
Children’s Home Society for a one-day “grandparents day off.”
Contact: Viola Hansel, Program Coordinator, at (360) 694-6577,
ext. 231, or hansevm@dshs.wa.gov.
Respite
for Native American Grandparents: The Southwest Washington
Agency on Aging and Casey Family Programs have collaborated
with the Yakima Nation Agency on Aging to establish a kinship
care program in Klickitat County. They are working to find
ways to encourage Native American children to access the after-school
program called Partnership in Learning for Unlimited Success
(PLUS) which provides respite for grandparents while providing
homework support and hands-on activities for the grandchildren.
Contact: Kristrun Grondal, Program Manager, SW Washington
Agency on Aging at (360) 694-6577, ext. 230 or torfake@dshs.wa.gov.
Case Management
and Support for Native American Families: Casey Family
Programs Yakima Division Office has partnered with the Yakima
Nation to support kinship caregivers through case management,
funding for home-based services such as housing, food, and
clothing, providing emotional support to caregivers, and by
offering both long-term and short-term services. This program
works with caregivers to help them take advantage of available
services in their community. It utilizes a culturally-integrated
curriculum designed by tribes in South Dakota for its monthly
support meetings and for the development of educational materials.
A community-based advisory committee provides feedback to
the program to help improve services and supports and to identify
additional needs. Contact: Janece Yeahpau-Howe, Casey Family
Programs, at (509) 457-8197 or jhowe@casey.org or Nila Whiteshirt-Sears,
Casey Family Programs, at (509) 865-1876 or nwhiteshirt-sears@casey.org.
Support,
Education, and Services for Kinship Care Families: The
Relatives Raising Relatives program at the Children’s Home
Society in Spokane is a seven-year-old program that provides
twice-monthly support groups, counseling services, and information
and referral services. With a grant from the Brookdale Foundation
Group’s Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP), services have
been expanded to include speakers on a variety of topics affecting
kin caregivers, respite care, activity days, a six-week parenting
class specifically for relative caregivers, activities and
social events for relative caregiver families, and a full-day
kinship care conference. Contact: Betsy Blake at (509) 747-4174
or betsyb@chs-wa.org.
Community
Partnerships for Kinship Care Families: The Pierce County
Relatives Raising Children program serves residents of Pierce
County who are raising relative children by providing support
groups, advocacy, education, and other programs. This collaborative
model directly involves the community in the services and
advocacy provided to these families. The program strives to
raise awareness about relatives raising children in the community
to ensure that relatives receive the services and supports
that they need. The program also produces a kinship
care newsletter that is sent to more than 1,000 recipients.
Instead of developing special services for these families,
the Relatives Raising Children program focuses on coalition
building, collaboration, and partnerships with existing resources
and services. Contact: Edith Owen at (253) 565-4484
or eoweninwa@juno.com.
Kinship
Care and Washington’s Foster Care System
Sometimes
children in the care of the states are placed in foster care
with grandparents or other relatives. In Washington,
the Department of Social and Health Services, Children’s Administration
reports:
Number
of children in kinship foster placements: As of May 2001,
there were approximately 9,000 children in out-of-home placements
in Washington State. Of these children, 2,500 (27.8%) are
placed with kin.
Preference
for kinship placements: Washington law and policy requires
that when an out-of-home placement is necessary, the preference
of the Department is to place the child with relatives, as
long as safety concerns and the best interest of the child
are primary considerations.
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.
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. Most of these programs offer ongoing subsidies
to children who have left foster care to live permanently
under the legal custody or guardianship of relatives.
Washington does not currently have a subsidized guardianship
program, but is in the process of creating one. Contact: Celeste
Y. Carey, MSW, Foster Care & Kinship Care Program Manager,
at (360) 902-7986 or cace300@dshs.wa.gov.
State foster
care contact: Questions about kin foster care placements
should be directed to Celeste Y. Carey, MSW, Foster Care &
Kinship Care Program Manager, at (360) 902-7986 or cace300@dshs.wa.gov.
Resource
guide for kinship foster caregivers: The Children’s Administration
of the Washington Department of Social and Health Services
has developed A Relative’s Guide to Child Welfare Services
(publication number DSHS 22-492X, 5/01). This guide was developed
to help extended family members meet the needs of children
when their parents are unable to care for them. It is focused
on those relative caregivers who are working with Child Protective
Services or Child Welfare Services on behalf of a child in
their family. Contact: Celeste Carey at (360) 902-7986
or write: DSHS Warehouse, P.O. Box 45816, Olympia, Washington
98504-5816 or e-mail: DSHSFPW@dshs.wa.gov.
Training
and support for kinship foster parents: The Foster Parent
Association of Washington State (FPAWS) provides programs
and supports to foster parents, including kinship foster parents.
A goal of FPAWS is to work collaboratively with individuals
and organizations on issues relating to kinship placement.
Contact: 1-800-391-2273 or info@fpaws.org.
Other Supports
for Washington 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 Washington’s
TANF program. Non-needy relatives may receive a grant on behalf
of a child based only the child's income. Kinship care families
may also be eligible for food stamps to help meet their children’s
food and nutrition needs. For more information about
these programs, contact 1(800) 865-7801 or log on to https://wws2.wa.gov/dshs/onlinecso/.
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 Washington Healthy
Options Program or the Children’s Health Insurance Program
(CHIP). In some cases, caregivers may also be eligible
for free coverage. For more information about how to
apply for the Healthy Options Program call 1-800-562-3022
or log on to http://www.hipspokane.org/FieldGuide/healthyoptions.htm.
For more information about the CHIP program, call 1-877-KIDS-NOW
(1-877-543-7669) or log on to http://www.hipspokane.org/hkn/index.htm.
Working
Connections Child Care (WCCC): - WCCC helps families who
are income-eligible pay for child care expenses while the
parents in the family are working, looking for work, or working
and going to school. WCCC covers care for children 0-
12 years of age and 13-18 if the child has special care needs.
All families must pay for a portion of the child care cost
called a co-payment. The minimum co-payment is $15 per
month. Certain relatives caring for relative children
may access WCCC for employment or employment and school.
In almost all cases a relative's income is not counted towards
eligibility, and only one relative needs to be working. Contact:
Your local DSHS Community Service Office, Help for Working
Families at 1-877-980-9131, or Child Care Resource and Referral
at 1(800) 446-1114.
State Laws
and Policies
The 2002 legislature
passed unanimously a law, which requires that the state develop
a work group to outline relevant kinship care issues and to
propose policy options for addressing these issues.
The work group’s
report, Kinship Care in Washington State: Prevalence, Policy,
and Needs is now available from the Washington State Institute
of Public Policy at http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/childfamily/
FosterCare.html or (360) 586-2677.
