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Program Description

Program/Practice Description: FST provides financial eligibility and casework services to relative caregivers with a focus on the family as a whole. This team identifies and supports the needs of child only cases in line with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) objectives, and uses TANF funds to provide prevention and supportive services to these families. The goal is to help connect relative caregivers with the support and services they need before they have to enter into the child welfare system, which can be time consuming and more intrusive. Kinship services provided by FST include a TANF child only payment, Medicaid for the child, special funding for specific financial needs on a case-by-case basis, subsidized permanent custody, and other supportive services as needed. FST also operates the Warm Line, which individuals can call to obtain information on available resources or talk to caseworkers or a grandparent advocate. In addition, FST facilitates three biweekly support groups that are designed to offer education and emotional support for grandparents. One of the support group facilitators is under contract through the Department of Human Services in collaboration with Community Partnership for Child Development (Head Start) and the other two are community-based facilitators.

Innovations and Results: This program is unique in that it works to address the needs of relative caregivers using TANF funds before they have to enter into the formal child welfare system. This program is an example of the service integration focus of El Paso County Human Services. Service integration of child welfare and TANF have:

  • Reduced the number of families on welfare without using punitive approaches;
  • Reduced the number of children and youth in foster care; and
  • Increased the safety of children.

Coordinating child welfare caseworkers with TANF technicians gives families access to a broader array of services and resources for both TANF and child welfare. As a result, FST is better able to serve high-need clients through service integration and the ability to meet requirements of multiple programs through one case plan.

Funding: The program provides supportive services, above basic cash assistance, to grandparents raising grandchildren or caregivers raising relative children. The strategy is to have caseworkers and technicians evaluate a family’s needs and provide financial assistance accordingly, instead of giving caregivers a set amount of money every month.

Staffing: FST was one of the first blended staff units at El Paso County Department of Human Services. It is composed of a supervisor, one child welfare caseworkers experienced with working with families to provide supportive services, a grandparent advocate, and four TANF technicians with financial program experience focusing on self-sufficiency.