CHS Creates New Position to Oversee Direct Services and Programs to Children & Families Children’s…
When a child can no longer remain safely with their parents, their world shifts dramatically. Yet even in moments of crisis, one of the most powerful sources of stability is still close at hand: family. Across North Carolina, grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, godparents, and close family friends open their homes and hearts to children in need. This is kinship care, and it’s one of the most important, impactful pathways to a child’s safety, well-being, and permanency.
At Children’s Home Society of North Carolina (CHS), kinship care is more than a placement option; it’s a philosophy rooted in dignity, connection, and the belief that families are strongest when they’re supported, not separated.
What is Kinship Care? A Family-Centered Approach to Safety and Stability
In North Carolina, kinship care simply means that a child lives with a relative or someone who shares a close, meaningful relationship with them (known as “fictive kin”) when their parents cannot care for them. It can be as informal as a relative or neighbor stepping in during a short-term family crisis or structured as a long-term licensed kinship foster care placement or adoption.
Kinship care is a very personalized and unique experience for each family, but at the heart of each is the same truth: children do best in the care of people they know and trust.
Why Kinship Care Makes a Difference
Kinship care is not just a compassionate choice; it’s an evidence-based one. Children placed with kin typically experience:
- Greater Emotional Safety
Children remain connected to the people, culture, and identity that shape who they are. They’re surrounded by familiar faces, routines, and traditions, which reduces trauma and promotes resilience. - More Stability
Kinship placements are less likely to disrupt, meaning fewer moves, fewer school changes, and fewer losses to navigate. For a child in crisis, consistency is often the first step toward healing. - Stronger Family and Cultural Bonds
When children stay connected to their extended family, they hold on to the support, stories, and sense of community and culture that help them feel rooted and loved. - Better Long-Term Outcomes
Research consistently shows that kinship care supports improved behavioral and emotional health outcomes, offering children the stability and familiarity they need to heal and grow.
The Challenges Kinship Caregivers Face — and How CHS Helps
Even with the love and commitment family members bring, kinship caregiving can be overwhelming. Many relatives step into caregiving suddenly, without time to prepare emotionally, financially, or logistically. They often navigate:
- Legal uncertainty
- Complex family dynamics
- Financial strain
- Trauma-related behaviors in youth
- Confusion about available supports
- Balancing caregiving with work, health, and personal responsibilities
CHS meets families with compassion, information, and solutions. We help families access financial support, respite, mental health services, peer support groups, and guidance to ensure they have the support needed to ensure the success of their relative.
The Role of CHS: Supporting Kinship Care Every Step of the Way
At CHS, we believe that every child deserves a permanent, safe, and loving family, and kinship care often helps make that possible sooner. Because the roots are already in place, children can bloom more quickly in the care of people they know and trust. That’s why we work every day to promote, support, and strengthen kinship placements across North Carolina.
- Empowering Families Through 1:1 Licensing Support
CHS offers guidance, training, and practical support to help kin caregivers navigate systems, understand their rights, and access resources. Becoming licensed opens opportunities for additional resources and financial support. Our specialists walk alongside families to ensure they are educated and informed about available support opportunities.
- Providing Trauma-Informed Training
Our kinship-specific training programs help relatives understand how trauma affects behavior, how to nurture healing, and how to advocate for the children in their care.
- Strengthening Permanency Pathways
We help kin caregivers explore long-term options, like guardianship or adoption, and understand financial support available to them, such as KinGAP. When permanency is the goal, licensed kinship care often provides the most stable path forward.
- Partnering with State Agencies and Community Organizations
CHS collaborates closely with North Carolina DSS and DHHS to expand kinship care resources, ensure families have access to assistance, and elevate kin caregivers’ voices in statewide conversations.
A Message to Relatives and Friends Considering Kinship Care
If you’re thinking about stepping forward to care for a child in your family or community, know this: you can be the difference that shapes a child’s entire future. Your willingness to love, protect, and guide a child during a moment of crisis can offer them more security and hope than you may ever realize. And you won’t be doing it alone; CHS and statewide partners are here to stand with you, equip you, and support you every step of the way.
The Heart of the Matter
Kinship care isn’t a backup plan. In many cases, it’s the best plan — providing children with the safety, stability, and love that come from staying connected to the people and places they know. At Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, we believe deeply in the power of family, and we’re dedicated to strengthening kinship caregivers with the tools, training, and support they deserve. When we invest in kinship care, we invest in stronger families, healthier communities, and brighter futures for North Carolina’s children.
If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a licensed kinship foster parent, you can get connected and explore the process here.
Become a Foster Parent
Take the leap with us and start experiencing the life-changing effects of fostering today.