Foster and Kinship Care
Defined Legal Arrangements
Indiana Resources:
Department of Child Services-Kinship/Relative Care-Assistance that the state of Indiana may provide to
unlicensed relatives who are providing care and placement to youth beginning January 1, 2010 (Read Memo):
Assisted Guardianship Program
This is a limited TANF funded program. This program is meant to help families where it has been determined
Guardianship is the best permanency plan for a child or sibling group and due to significant financial need,
assistance is required for the child’s permanency and well-being.
Public assistance-The following programs may be available to children and their relative caregivers through Indiana
who are found eligible:
Additional Supports:
Kinship navigator programs are state initiatives that provide information, referral, and follow-up services to
grandparents and other relatives raising children to link them to the benefits and services that they or the
children need.
Child Welfare League (CWL) focus is children and youth who may have experienced abuse, neglect, family
disruption, or a range of other factors that jeopardize their safety, permanence, or well-being. CWLA also
focuses on the families, caregivers, and the communities that care for and support these children.
Children’s Defense Fund (CDF)-Kinship Care-mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair
Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families
and communities. Kinship Care Resource Kit is a resource kit for kinship caregivers that provides information on
topics such as cash assistance, child care and education programs, health care, and other issues important to
relative caregivers. Contact 800-CDF-1200 or 800-233-1200. Children's Defense Fund-Ohio Location
Casey Family Programs is the nation’s largest operating foundation focused entirely on foster care and improving
the child welfare system. We work to provide and improve-and ultimately prevent the need for-foster care in the
United States. As champions for change, we are committed to our 2020 Strategy for America’s Children-a goal to
safely reduce the number of children in foster care and improve the lives of those who remain in care.
Indiana Foster Care and Adoption Association (IFCAA) is a membership organization for foster and adoptive
parents across the state of Indiana. IFCAA is a nonprofit organization of foster parents, adoptive parents, public
and private agencies, and other caring professionals who live and work with children. Contact: 800-468-4228 or
317-524-2600
North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) promotes and supports permanent families for children
and youth in the U.S. and Canada who have been in care-especially those in foster care and those with special
needs.
Fostering Connections Resource Center is a gathering place of information, training and tools related to
furthering the implementation of the Fostering Connections law.
Kinship Care Legal Resource Center from the ABA Center on Children and the Law is intended to serve as a
toolkit for attorneys, judges, and other child-serving practitioners working with kinship families and having
difficulty navigating the complex existing and emerging legal issues.
Grandfamilies State Law and Policy Resource Center serves as a national legal resource created to educate
individuals about state laws and legislation in support of grandfamilies and to assist interested state legislators,
advocates, caregivers, attorneys, and other policymakers in exploring policy options to support relatives and the
children in their care both within and outside the child welfare system. Includes a searchable database of current
laws and pending legislation.
Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP) through the Brookdale Foundation is designed to encourage and promote
the creation or expansion of services for grandparents and other relatives who have taken on the responsibility
of surrogate parenting due to the absence of the parents.
Foster, Adoption, Kinship Training (FAKT) is a training for foster/kinship caregivers of children under the
supervision of the Indiana Department of Child Services.
Grandparents as Parents (GAP)'s mission is to provide programs and services that meet the urgent and ongoing
needs of grandparents and other relatives raising at-risk children.
Generations United promotes awareness of grandfamilies: grandparents and other relatives raising children, and
how to help meet the needs of these unique families.
Healthy Foster Care America (HFCA) has a dream that foster care will be a valued, healing, healthy, and
empowering resource for children, teens, families, and communities, so that every child and teen in foster care will
thrive in a forever family.
Child Welfare Information Gateway connects child welfare and related professionals to comprehensive information
and resources to help protect children and strengthen families. We feature the latest on topics from prevention
to permanency, including child abuse and neglect, foster care, and adoption
FosterClub mission is to provide encouragement, motivation, information, education, and benefits for foster
youth.
Resources
Kinship Care-Specific Resources:
Foster Care-Specific Resources:
- Guardianship: Parental rights not terminated, and the (Foster/Relative) is not financially responsible for the
youth; allows (Foster/Relative) to enroll child in school and receive medical care. - Legal Custody: (Foster/Relative) petitions for custody if he/she can demonstrate parent is “unfit,” and
(Foster/Relative) retains physical possession of the youth. - Relative Foster Care: Child is in the custody of the state, but the youth resides in the a relatives home.
- Non-relative Foster Care: Child is in the custody of the state, but the youth resides with foster family (not
related to the child.) - Adoption: Parental rights are severed; adopted parent (Foster/Relative?) assumes all legal and financial
responsibilities for the child. - Subsidized Guardianships: Financial support is provided for children in state custody; caregiver becomes the
legal guardian, replacing the state.
Indiana Resources:
Department of Child Services-Kinship/Relative Care-Assistance that the state of Indiana may provide to
unlicensed relatives who are providing care and placement to youth beginning January 1, 2010 (Read Memo):
- Personal allowance-Each child in an unlicensed relative placement for 180 consecutive days will receive an
annual personal allowance of up to $240. - Clothing-May provide the relative placement with an Initial Clothing and Personal Items Allotment of up to
$200.00 per child. - Bedding-May provide up to $400 per child for a bed and bedding.
- Travel-For DCS authorized trips out of the county in excess of 100 miles round trip; the relative placement
may be reimbursed at the current state mileage rate for the portion of the trip that exceeds 100 miles. - Recreation-All recreation expenses for children in relative care may be paid for using personal allowance
funds. Recreation expenses include, but are not limited to: team sports leagues, lessons (sports, music,
dance), special events, summer camp, musical instruments, sporting equipment, youth club dues, and/or
community center dues. - Education-Personal allowance funds may be used to cover costs associated with any of the following
educational activities: preschool, alternative schools, computer hardware and/or software required for
courses, field trips, driver’s education (unless eligible for Emancipation Goods & Services Funds), class
pictures, book rental fees, summer school/programs, application fees, tutoring, internet classes, and extra-
curricular activities. - Childcare-The relative must provide documentation that they have applied to receive TANF and have been
placed on the waiting list for CCDF Vouchers. DCS will provide up to $25 per day or $125 per week per
child, for up to 6 months, or until CCDF begins. - Other-A Family Case Manager (FCM), Supervisor, or DCS Local Office Director can appeal for funds for a
relative to cover unusual circumstances and situations.
Assisted Guardianship Program
This is a limited TANF funded program. This program is meant to help families where it has been determined
Guardianship is the best permanency plan for a child or sibling group and due to significant financial need,
assistance is required for the child’s permanency and well-being.
- Available to eligible children age 13 and under
- Relative must meet specific eligibility requirements
- Contact: 317-234-5128
Public assistance-The following programs may be available to children and their relative caregivers through Indiana
who are found eligible:
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program-Cash assistance
- Food Stamps (SNAP)
- Hoosier Healthwise/Medicaid Contact 800-889-9949
Additional Supports:
Kinship navigator programs are state initiatives that provide information, referral, and follow-up services to
grandparents and other relatives raising children to link them to the benefits and services that they or the
children need.
Child Welfare League (CWL) focus is children and youth who may have experienced abuse, neglect, family
disruption, or a range of other factors that jeopardize their safety, permanence, or well-being. CWLA also
focuses on the families, caregivers, and the communities that care for and support these children.
Children’s Defense Fund (CDF)-Kinship Care-mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair
Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families
and communities. Kinship Care Resource Kit is a resource kit for kinship caregivers that provides information on
topics such as cash assistance, child care and education programs, health care, and other issues important to
relative caregivers. Contact 800-CDF-1200 or 800-233-1200. Children's Defense Fund-Ohio Location
Casey Family Programs is the nation’s largest operating foundation focused entirely on foster care and improving
the child welfare system. We work to provide and improve-and ultimately prevent the need for-foster care in the
United States. As champions for change, we are committed to our 2020 Strategy for America’s Children-a goal to
safely reduce the number of children in foster care and improve the lives of those who remain in care.
Indiana Foster Care and Adoption Association (IFCAA) is a membership organization for foster and adoptive
parents across the state of Indiana. IFCAA is a nonprofit organization of foster parents, adoptive parents, public
and private agencies, and other caring professionals who live and work with children. Contact: 800-468-4228 or
317-524-2600
North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) promotes and supports permanent families for children
and youth in the U.S. and Canada who have been in care-especially those in foster care and those with special
needs.
Fostering Connections Resource Center is a gathering place of information, training and tools related to
furthering the implementation of the Fostering Connections law.
Kinship Care Legal Resource Center from the ABA Center on Children and the Law is intended to serve as a
toolkit for attorneys, judges, and other child-serving practitioners working with kinship families and having
difficulty navigating the complex existing and emerging legal issues.
Grandfamilies State Law and Policy Resource Center serves as a national legal resource created to educate
individuals about state laws and legislation in support of grandfamilies and to assist interested state legislators,
advocates, caregivers, attorneys, and other policymakers in exploring policy options to support relatives and the
children in their care both within and outside the child welfare system. Includes a searchable database of current
laws and pending legislation.
Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP) through the Brookdale Foundation is designed to encourage and promote
the creation or expansion of services for grandparents and other relatives who have taken on the responsibility
of surrogate parenting due to the absence of the parents.
Foster, Adoption, Kinship Training (FAKT) is a training for foster/kinship caregivers of children under the
supervision of the Indiana Department of Child Services.
Grandparents as Parents (GAP)'s mission is to provide programs and services that meet the urgent and ongoing
needs of grandparents and other relatives raising at-risk children.
Generations United promotes awareness of grandfamilies: grandparents and other relatives raising children, and
how to help meet the needs of these unique families.
Healthy Foster Care America (HFCA) has a dream that foster care will be a valued, healing, healthy, and
empowering resource for children, teens, families, and communities, so that every child and teen in foster care will
thrive in a forever family.
Child Welfare Information Gateway connects child welfare and related professionals to comprehensive information
and resources to help protect children and strengthen families. We feature the latest on topics from prevention
to permanency, including child abuse and neglect, foster care, and adoption
FosterClub mission is to provide encouragement, motivation, information, education, and benefits for foster
youth.
- FosterClub.com (Forum) is the national network for young people in foster care. We are dedicated to
providing the tools, training and forum to help young people secure a brighter future for themselves and
the foster care system. - Transition Club (Forum/Blog) is a website designed for youth preparing to transition out of foster care. It’s
packed with resources, success stories, scholarship opportunities, discussion forums, youth boards, and
more. - Booster Club is a website designed for the adults who support and care about young people in foster care.
Caseworkers, Independent Living Providers, foster parents and advocates will find resources, tools and
articles that will inspire.
Resources
- Chafee Assessment captures outcomes for child welfare and Chafee services. This free assessment was
created for adolescents in care, young adults who have emancipated from care or are in aftercare. - TA Partnership: A Family's Guide to the Child Welfare System (Spanish)-pdf
Kinship Care-Specific Resources:
- AARP: Grandfacts-State Fact Sheet for Grandparents and other Relatives Raising Children.
- CDF: Kinship Care Resource Kit.
Foster Care-Specific Resources:
- Casey Foster Family Assessment-free, online tools allow foster parent applicants to self report on their
strengths and training needs in areas of foster child development, caring for challenging children, worker
and agency challenges, co-parenting, integrating foster children, and kinship care. - IN DCS: Foster Family Resource Guide-pdf
- DCF VA: Foster Family Guide to Investigations-pdf
- IPAS: Understanding the needs of Children with Disabilities in the Foster Care System.
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