Advances in Supporting Kinship Caregivers - Part 5

The Child Welfare Information Gateway created a five-part podcast series that illustrated ways that states and tribal jurisdictions have supported kinship caregivers. Part 5 of this series explores a series of changes within New Mexico’s Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD) to improve the engagement and support of kinship families. These changes include internal workforce shifts, such as changes in supervisory practices and internal communications to improve how relatives and caregivers are viewed; programs to keep families engaged and involved in children’s lives even if they are unable to serve as primary caregivers; and streamlining the licensing process to be less invasive and more supportive of families facing the abrupt changes and challenges of raising children.

Topics discussed include:

• Which methods increase involvement of other, non-caregiver kin and families in children’s lives and build strength and support caregivers,
• How CYFD changed caseworkers’ and staff perception to improve how relatives and kinship families are viewed and supported within the child welfare system,
• How direct feedback from community organizations and families improved how CYFD delivers services and supports families, and
• How processes and policies changed to make CYFD more “family-friendly.”