Aging and Long-Term Support Administration

Aging and Long-Term Support Administration Fact Sheet: Programs and Initiatives Title: Kinship Caregivers Support Program Overview The Kinship Caregivers Support Program (KCSP), first authorized by the  . Legislature in 2004, covers the cost of urgent/emergent needs incurred by grandparents or other relatives (kinship caregivers) who are raising children whose parents are unable to care for them. Basic needs (such as housing, clothing, food, and supplies) are the most frequent service requests.

The KCSP can be accessed in every county of our state. The relatives who apply for the service have very high financial needs and need help in order to make ends meet. The KCSP staff confirm that alternate payment sources have been exhausted prior to authorizing kinship caregiver financial support.

In state fiscal year 2016, the KCSP served a total of 1,457 kinship caregivers who were raising 2,523 children.

About 51% of caregivers served receive a TANF grant, while 55% receive Basic Food Assistance. Eighty percent of families have family incomes less than $30,000. The ethnic/racial make-up of the KCSP caregivers include: 60% Caucasian; 16% African American; 12% American Indian/Native Alaskan; 3% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Asian, 1% Other Race, 8% unknown race; and 14% of the caregivers were Hispanic. A total of 71% of funding provides for basic needs of the children (e.g., housing, clothes, beds) and the remainder supports legal services, school and youth activities, transportation, interpreter services and transitional/family counseling.

Eligibility An individual who is a grandparent or other relative: Requirements . Raising a child age 18 or younger; . At risk of not being able to continue kinship caregiving without additional financial support services; . Raising a child without involvement of the formal child welfare system. Authority ESHB 2459, Section 206, Chapter 276, Laws of 2004

Budget . FY16 Expenditures: $1,009,824 . Average annual costs per child: $400 Rates The Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) either directly provide the KCSP service or Information Contact Hilarie Hauptman, Kinship Caregiver Program Manager, Home and Community Services Division (360) 725-2556, [email protected] www.dshs.wa.gov/kinshipcare 2017

W A S H I N G T O N S T A T E D E P A R T M E N T O F S O C I A L & H E A L T H S E R V I C E S Aging and Long-Term Support Administration contract it out to a community organization, such as a child or family service agency. Each organization administering the program reimburses eligible businesses based on approved costs (e.g., utilities, beds, clothing and supplies, housing, etc.) determined to meet the specific need(s) of each kinship care family within established program limitations. Partners . Each of the 13 AAAs and their subcontracted community service organizations and Kinship Navigators . DSHS Economic Services Administration . DSHS Children’s Administration . Washington State Kinship Care Oversight Committee

Oversight External The AAAs are responsible for monitoring their community subcontracted agencies. Internal ALTSA’s State Unit on Aging Kinship Program Manager and AAA Specialists along ALTSA’s Management Services Division monitor the AAAs.

Example of how KCSP is helping kinship care families: Beds represent stability, comfort and safety. Some children, while growing up with biological parents who use drugs, go from house to house with nothing to call their own. When kinship caregivers take in these children to raise, they so often have to work so hard to make their very limited dollars stretch. Some have purchased beds found at local yard sales. Homes have become infested with bed bugs and had to be sprayed numerous times to get rid of the bugs while the beds had to be discarded.

Two related examples from this year include: KCSP was able to buy a new twin bed for 5 year old girl living with her grandparents. The little girl was still in a toddler bed because her grandparents were unable to buy a new bed on their own. The little girl was so excited and stated, "SANTA bought me a new bed." For another kinship family, a 65 year-old great aunt read an article in the local paper about the program. She has been raising her 16 year-old great-nephew for five years, having rescued him from an abusive living situation. The KCSP staff along with the relative and teenager went shopping and the boy got to pick out his own sheets, pillows and comforter. This was the first time this teenager ever had new linens of his own in his life. He was so appreciative that he cried and gave the staff person a big hug.

Information Contact Hilarie Hauptman, Kinship Caregiver Program Manager, Home and Community Services Division (360) 725-2556, [email protected] www.dshs.wa.gov/kinshipcare 2017

W A S H I N G T O N S T A T E D E P A R T M E N T O F S O C I A L & H E A L T H S E R V I C E S