Kinship Preventive Services
Across the United States, at least six million children are being brought up in
households headed by grandparents and other relative caregivers.
Child and Family Services Kinship Preventive Services Program works with kinship caregivers
and parents to prevent placement of relative children out of their homes (foster
care, residential), and works to expedite the return of children to their parents
and/or Article 6 custody to the kinship caregiver.
The Kinship Preventive Services Program assigns a counselor who - utilizing a family
systems, solution focused approach - assists parents and/or kinship caregivers in
solving problems, learning new ways of coping, and identifying other needed services.
A majority of the service occurs in the kinship caregiver and/or parent’s home,
however, some counseling sessions and group sessions will occur in one of several
Child and Family Services offices. The kinship program offers the family case management,
various workshops including support groups and parenting education.
Referrals are made by the Erie County Department of Social Services, who sends a
B-2195 referral form to the Director of Preventive Services. The referral is then
assigned to an appropriate family counselor.
Click here to learn more about this program.