The kinship caregivers featured in the video series speak candidly about the challenges they face, the support they need, and the rewards that motivate them to continue. Use this video series and discussion guide to create a more supportive environment and develop an agency culture that responds to caregivers’ needs.

Addresses the importance of being open to agency support and resources and the necessity of self-care in working through family transitions and meeting family needs. In this video, a kinship parent caring for her niece's children reflects on her family's strategies for raising children who have experienced trauma and the resources that enabled them to become effective kinship caregivers.

Highlights the significant impact agency staff have on the kinship and foster parent experience and in helping families serve as a resource for the birth families of the children in their care. This video presents one family's story of becoming a kinship resource and how support from their foster care specialist guided their decision.

Demonstrates the benefits and challenges of serving as a kinship/foster parent and supporting and collaborating with children's biological parents. This video highlights one caregiver's decision to foster and adopt her son and become a kinship caregiver to his younger sibling. She discusses how she maintained a close, supportive relationship with their biological mother and how they ultimately created a united, blended family.

Demonstrates the life adjustments and rewards of becoming a kinship caregiver. In this video, a caregiver shares his story of what motivated him to become a kinship parent. He discusses how caring for his sister's children and a child with special needs, as well as managing a household, have changed his life and what encourages him to continue.

Addresses the critical importance of having a strong support network to face the challenges of becoming a kinship resource and caring for children who have experienced trauma. This video highlights one mother's perspective on making the decision to become a kinship parent and the rewards brought by providing care for her kinship daughters.

Describes strategies to change staff attitudes, engage families in developing their case plans, and keep children in foster care connected with their families and community. Rosa, the parent partner, shares how she joined the team, what she does in her role, and how the workgroup is helping the agency improve the support and services provided to families.

Highlights one foster and adoptive mother's experience becoming a kinship caregiver for her own grandson and the impact of agency support. In this video, she discusses the fears and questions she faced in taking on this dual role of mother and grandmother and how a foster care specialist supported them during the transition.

Addresses the challenges that some caregivers face in their dual roles as grandparents and kinship parents and the value of support networks. In this video, a paternal grandparent discusses how she and her husband provide security and stability for their family by focusing on their grandchildren's emotional and educational needs with valuable agency support and maternal family involvement.

Demonstrates the dedication and flexibility needed when providing kinship care in order to navigate visitation schedules, foster care certification processes, and permanency proceedings.

Pair this recorded webinar with the discussion guide to learn caregiver and birth parent partnerships and trauma-informed visitation. 

Shows strategies for child welfare staff to work with the court system to support family involvement. Joe, the Court Improvement Program lead, talks about his experience in the workgroup and the corresponding changes made in the court system to improve the support and services provided to families.

Spotlights how agency support and resources helped one kinship family identify creative solutions to challenges they faced. In this video, a parent reflects on her family's experience with the kinship program and how it enabled her to connect and collaborate with her kinship son's biological family.

Browse casework activities to use before, during, and after a caseworker visit with children, youth, and families.

Learn how supervisors and program managers can assist child welfare caseworkers in conducting quality visits with parents.