National Kinship Care Month

September is National Kinship Care Month, recognizing the relatives and close family friends who step in to care for children when their parents cannot. This Child Welfare Information Gateway webpage offers a collection of information, tools, and resources to help communities better understand and support kinship caregivers.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, the webpage can help build awareness of the needs of families who take on caregiving responsibilities unexpectedly and strengthen referrals to available supports. Kinship caregivers may need assistance with food, housing, financial support, childcare, and other services. The collection can also help TANF practitioners identify resources that connect caregivers with the assistance they need while recognizing the unique circumstances of kinship families.