Introduction
Kinship Care is the full-time care if children by relatives or others who have a kinship bond with a child and whose parents are not living in the home. You may be a grandparent, an aunt or uncle, sister or brother, tribal member or just a good family friend. Children receiving kinship care benefit by receiving care and affection from someone known to them and by having important attachments, family ties and relationships preserved.
As you raise these children you have your hands full and the last things you want to think about are legal issues and the legal system. However, you will probably have to deal with legal system as you raise these children. You will most likely need legal papers in order to enroll the children in school, get them medical care or apply for benefits,ect. Above all, you may need legal papers to continue to keep the children safe.
Getting legal authority over the children can be a very complicated process. In some circumstances you may be able to obtain custody on your own but you may have to use the services of an attorney. The purpose of this guide is to provide Kinship Care Fact Sheets that may help you understand the process. It is not the purpose of the Kinship Care Fact Sheets to give legal advice. You must determine what the best route is for you and your family. No matter what, the decision in how to proceed is yours.
As you review the Fact Sheets, You will see that under certain circumstance it may be more important to have an attorney. Look for an attorney with experience in abuse and neglect law, custody and adoption. You should also ask if they know about programs that might assist your family such as Social Security or state subsidies and their fees. If you cannot afford to pay for and attorney, there are some resources that may be available to you included at www.dcfs.la.gov and select IAM/RelitiveCaregiver