Sometimes life takes unexpected turns, and children are not able to live with their parents. In those moments, family and community often step in to make sure kids are surrounded by love and stability. This is called kinship care.

Kinship care means a child lives with relatives such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, or older siblings, or with a close family friend who may not be related by blood or marriage but who feels like family. These “fictive kin” relationships are especially common in Black communities and other marginalized groups; friends, church members, and neighbors have long been part of raising and protecting children.

It is not just about providing shelter; kinship care is about keeping children connected to their roots, culture, and sense of belonging.

Why Kinship Care Matters

Research has shown what many of us already know from experience; children do better when they stay connected to people they know and trust. Kinship care helps children feel safe, reduces trauma, and often keeps siblings together. It also helps them stay connected to their schools, neighborhoods, and culture. Children in kinship care are more likely to thrive long-term, both emotionally and academically, than children placed with strangers.

Types of Kinship Care

Kinship care can look different from family to family:

• Informal Kinship Care: Relatives or close friends step up without the involvement of the state.

• Formal Kinship Care: The courts grant custody to a caregiver, but it may not involve foster care.

• Relative or Fictive Kin Foster Care: The child is placed in foster care, but with relatives or trusted family friends.

Each type has its own rules and levels of support; this can be confusing for caregivers.

The Practice of Fictive Kinship in the Black Community

 For many Black families, fictive kinship is not new; it is part of a long tradition of community care. Neighbors, church families, and lifelong friends have taken care of children when parents could not. This practice is born out of resilience and survival, but also of love.

What is not always known is that fictive kinship inside the community does not always line up with how the child welfare system defines support. For example, a grandmother or family friend caring for a child may not automatically receive the same financial support as a licensed foster parent, even though they are providing the same stability and care. This mismatch between cultural practices and state policy can create stress for families who are already stepping up in big ways.

The Rewards and Challenges of Kinship Care

Like any form of caregiving, kinship care comes with joys and struggles. Caregivers often talk about the pride they feel in keeping a child within the family and ensuring they grow up connected to their roots. At the same time, challenges can include:

• Confusing rules about custody and benefits

• Limited financial support if the caregiver is not part of the formal system

• Feeling isolated or unsure where to turn for help

• Difficulty accessing mental health or trauma-informed care for children

Still, the rewards are powerful; children in kinship care often feel safer, more loved, and more connected.

Resources for Kinship Families in Kentucky

Thankfully, there are organizations in Kentucky dedicated to supporting kinship caregivers:

• Kentucky Kinship Resource Center: Training, peer support, and statewide resources.

• Kinship Families Coalition of Kentucky: A resource map with services available across counties.

• Kentucky Grandparent and Relative Caregiver Handbook: Tips for navigating court, engaging with parents, and accessing resources.

• KY Thriving Families: Support groups, legal navigation, and caregiver rights.

• Kentucky Youth Advocates: Advocacy tools and policy updates for kinship families.

Play Cousins Collective adds to this network of support by creating kinship-centered events that bring families together; these gatherings provide spaces where caregivers and children can connect with peers while accessing resources designed with them in mind. Their work highlights how local organizations strengthen community bonds and ensure that kinship families feel seen, supported, and celebrated. These supports exist because kinship caregivers deserve the same respect and resources as any foster parent.

Why This Matters

Kinship care is not just about filling in when parents cannot; it is about family, community, and culture. It is about neighbors acting as aunties, grandmothers raising grandchildren, and friends becoming brothers and sisters. It shows the strength of our communities and the lengths we will go to protect and nurture our children.

By raising awareness, sharing resources, and honoring the tradition of fictive kinship, we can ensure that every child in kinship care has the stability, love, and opportunity they deserve.