Foster Kinship's Kinship Navigator Program is our unique, evidence-based, flagship program of family stabilization services, designed to increase kinship caregivers’ capacity to provide safe, stable, and nurturing homes for children.
Our services address the immediate needs of kinship children, working towards the most permanent legal status for the family, ensuring families receive financial support and increasing the quality of parenting caregivers provide.
Drawing from social support theory and transaction cost theory, Foster Kinship’s Kinship Navigator Program provides targeted information, referral, support, basic needs, and case management activities focused on reducing uncertainty for new caregivers. By connecting caregivers to accurate information at the right time, The Navigator program reduces both search and acquisition costs for the caregiver, reducing their stress and increasing their access to needed services. Providing informational emotional, and instrumental (tangible and technical) support services enables families to achieve critical goals linked to child well-being such as adequate financial support and legal capacity.
Each Navigator service is designed to connect kinship families to networks of social support, provide tangible resources, and increase baseline resources by ensuring understanding of and access to available resources.
Program services are focused on four short-term outcome domains: legal capacity, financial sustainability, parenting and child community connection, and caregiver emotional support. By increasing family stability in those four areas, Foster Kinship increases the safety, stability, and nurturing capacity of the kinship home and reduces disruption into stranger foster care. Children in safe, stable, and nurturing homes are more likely to overcome the challenges of early childhood trauma to experience typical adulthood.
GOALS
OBJECTIVES
TARGET POPULATION
Foster Kinship’s model is designed to serve any kinship caregiver (defined as both relatives and fictive kin) raising children in nonparental care (neither parent resides in the home) in the state of Nevada. We serve all kinship families including:
All services are free and available to anyone parenting a relative, fictive kin's, or adopted child in Nevada.
A Kinship Navigator Intake Coordinator will be available by phone to answer your basic kinship questions, refer you to resources, and set up an appointment with a Foster Kinship Family Advocate for a family evaluation and additional services.
Our helpline hours are Tuesday-Thursday 9 AM -7:00 PM; Friday-Saturday 9 AM-6:00 PM.
Foster Kinship helpline is not a crisis or emergency line. If you are facing an urgent situation due to a lack of resources, call or visit Nevada 2-1-1.
If you need to report child abuse or neglect in Nevada, please call the appropriate child abuse hotline:
Clark County Department of Family Services: (702) 399-0081
Washoe County Human Services Agency: (775) 785-8600
For all other counties in Nevada: Division of Child and Family Services: (833) 803-1183
This tool, provided free of charge, will help identify targeted resources for kinship caregivers in Nevada based on age, caregiving status, the age and needs of the children, and location. This tool has resources for all Nevada zip codes and is available in English and Spanish.
Kiship resources at your fingerprints- just enter your basic information and receive a list of resources targeted for your situation.
Our Kinship Resource Centers are a starting point for anyone who has questions about parenting a relative’s child in Nevada. Kinship families are may call during our open office hours to consult on questions relating to kinship care in Nevada including, kinship foster care, guardianship, child-only TANF, resources, and more. Professional family advocates staff the offices and phones.
Southern Nevada Kinship Center:
Location: 8691 W Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89117
Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 9 AM-7:00 PM; Friday-Saturday 9 AM- 6 PM
Appointments are required and can be in person or remote.
Kinship Center Services:
Foster Kinship’s Case Management Program is a comprehensive support program for kinship caregivers in Nevada designed to increase the stability and well-being of the kinship family.
Program Summary
Our Family Advocacy/Case Management program accepts clients on an ongoing basis. Each qualified family receives a customized case plan with community referrals, assistance with child-only TANF and guardianship applications, transportation, some financial assistance, and access to the kinship resource center.
Eligibility for Case Management:
In order to be eligible caregivers must:
1. Be caring for a relative’s child full time, with no parents in the home,
2. Be residents of Nevada,
3. Complete a family evaluation with a Family Advocate,
4. Demonstrate a specific short-term need,
5. Demonstrate the capability to provide a long-term, stable home for the child(ren),
6. Be willing to actively participate in Foster Kinship’s family advocacy case plan.
Program Requirements
Kinship caregivers who qualify for Family Advocacy will be asked to participate for up to 180 days to ensure they receive the emotional support, legal information and community connections so vital to long-term family stability. After the family evaluation, each caregiver will receive an individualized family case plan with recommendations, referrals and required participation activities. Not participating in the care plan and case management services may be grounds to discontinue services and/or financial support.
Each family is different and the determination of financial support received will be made individually to meet the needs of particular families based on funds and resources available to Foster Kinship. Foster Kinship retains the right to make the final decision on program acceptance and financial assistance.
At the Caregivers' Corner Market in Marcie's Heart Donation Center, kinship caregivers can shop for household items, teen and adult clothing and shoes, jewelry and accessories, books, gently used toys, and seasonal and specialty items.
Everything is free and there is no limit. Items provided for kinship families at the Market can not be sold. Kinship families must have an account with Foster Kinship to shop.
Hours: Open every Wednesday and Saturday from 11 AM- 2 PM. Shopping is by appointment for Foster Kinship caregivers only. Appointments can be requested here: https://calendly.com/marcies-heart/caregiver-market or by calling 702-546-9988.
Marcie's Heart Caregiver Corner Market:
Location: 8691 W Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89117
Foster Kinship’s In-Home Navigator Program brings all the services to you- in your own home.
Program Summary
Kinship caregivers in Clark County, NV who receive a relative or fictive kin child through the foster care system will automatically be referred for in-home services. For kin families who are not involved in foster care and/or families outside Clark County, NV, in-home services will be provided on an as-needed basis.
Permanency is just the beginning! Foster Kinship’s Family Stabilization Programs are available to families who have completed the guardianship or adoption!
Regular support groups are guided by a professional facilitator.
Support groups allow caregivers to meet with other individuals who are parenting their relative’s children. It is a safe place to discuss the joys and challenges of raising a grandchild, niece or nephew, or other relatives.
Support groups also include sharing of best practices and resources for kinship caregivers. Our groups are confidential and non-judgmental. You can laugh, cry, and lean on and learn from others who are walking in your shoes.
All groups are free. Some groups include meals and childcare. Some groups provide an hour of relicensing training credit for licensed foster kinship caregivers.
Many relative caregivers are eligible for a cash benefit called child-only TANF through the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services. Foster kinship offers free applications and application assistance to apply for this financial benefit. Once your application is complete, we also offer access to an on-site DWSS worker Tuesday-Thursdays so you can skip the welfare office!
Foster Kinship wants to ensure that costs involved with legal stability are not barriers for kinship families. We provide the following free services for kinship families in our case management program:
Our kinship resource center at Marcie's Heart has limited emergency resources such as diapers/wipes, car seats, MyStuff Bags, clothing, books, toys, and formula. We partner with corporate and nonprofit organizations to provide additional resources, back-to-school support, and assistance during the holidays.
Foster Kinship sponsors regular family events. Bring the whole family and interact with other kinship families over food, fun, and games! These are designed to bring kinship families together, provide fun and educational activities for the children, food and games for all, and bring in other local nonprofits and community organizations so that you have face-to-face contact with all the resources available to you in your area. Our main events include a Spring Celebration, Back to School Event, Fall Family Festival, and Holiday Support.
Foster Kinship and the Kinship Advocacy Network (KAN) of Caregivers invite you to participate in creating positive and needed change for kinship families in Nevada. There are 5 ways you can get involved and make a difference- contact Leah@Fosterkinship.org for more info:
1. Complete the Annual Kinship Caregiver Survey! It is anonymous and data will be used to inform our policy agenda.
2. Join a focus group! We collect caregiver experiences related to ICPC, Child Welfare Involved Families (Department of Families Services is involved), Private Kinship Families (No Child Welfare Involvement), & Child Issues.
3. Undergo training as a Volunteer Peer Outreach Advocate! You will receive free training from Foster Kinship in order to represent kinship families in a variety of settings, including community events and testifying before the legislature.
4. Join KAN Meetings!
5. Share your story! We are looking for families comfortable to either be interviewed or to submit a short story about your experiences as a caregiver with some pictures. These stories will be public and used to raise general awareness of kinship families in Nevada and how our community can support!