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Please note that we have fixed the link for the April 25 webinar and that our monthly resource for March has been updated to correct an error. The link for the monthly resource is the same; only the content has changed. The previous version of the monthly resource is no longer available. (Additionally, for today's correction, we have removed reminders and announcements for opportunities that took place yesterday and today.)
This month, we’re sharing upcoming webinars, several new resources from the Network, and other information and opportunities from around the field. Please read on for more information.
Please share your latest resources, news articles/blog posts, upcoming events, and highlights with us. They may be featured in our next newsletter!
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We have three upcoming webinars, and we invite you to join us! | |
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“Intersection of Kinship Care and Culture: African & Caribbean Communities in America” will take place on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET. Dr. Anita Rogers will moderate a discussion with Dr. Hadih Deedat and Dr. Eric Edi.
CORRECTED LINK - We apologize for the error in the link we shared for this webinar yesterday. The link is now working. Please use it to register for this important webinar! - "Working Together to Support Relative and Kinship Families Caring for School-Aged Children," a panel discussion in partnership with the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA), will take place on Tuesday, April 25, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET.
“Collaboration Strategies for Tribes, or Non-Native Service Providers Working with Tribes, to Support Kinship/Grandfamilies,” with NICWA Founding Executive Director Dr. Terry Cross, will take place on May 10, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET.
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What's New From the Network? | | |
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Tips to Include Kinship/Grandfamilies in Programmatic Decision-Making
Increasingly, government and nonprofit leaders are recognizing the value of engaging individuals with lived experience when creating and enhancing programs and services. This resource offers tips for engaging with caregivers, youth, and parents in kinship/grandfamilies so that they can meaningfully contribute to programs and services intended for them.
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Preparing Kinship/Grandfamilies to Respond to Medicaid and CHIP Changes
All government and nonprofit professionals who interact with kinship/grandfamilies can help spread the word about upcoming eligibility reviews for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage. This resource aims to provide information to professionals so that they can better support the families and help them maintain their health insurance coverage.
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Regional and Tribal Convenings: Themes and Promising Practices
In May and June of 2022, the Network hosted five virtual half-day regional convenings and the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA), one of the Network’s key national partners, hosted a virtual half-day tribal convening. These six convenings brought together individuals with lived experience; leaders from various systems within states, tribes, and territories; and leaders of community- and faith-based organizations. During the convenings, leaders and staff from government agencies and nonprofit organizations around the country presented and shared information about their promising practices serving kinship/grandfamilies. This resource summarizes what we collectively learned and connects readers with additional information.
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Monthly Resource: Making a Difference
Our March two-pager spotlights two kinship programs, each of which is using collaboration to improve service for families. Read this resource to learn more and get inspired by the work of the Northwest Ohio Area Office on Aging and the kin-first culture in Washington. We are grateful to our partners at ZERO TO THREE for their leadership in producing these monthly resources.
THIS RESOURCE HAS BEEN UPDATED SINCE YESTERDAY TO CORRECT AN ERROR.
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In this monthly section, we'll share a tweet or other small bit of information that you can easily copy and share. | |
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This month, we're promoting our April 12 webinar.
#Kinship professionals serve families from many different cultures. Join the @GensUnited Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network on April 12 to learn about supporting and serving kinship families in African and Caribbean communities.
Register: https://buff.ly/3JfvaiI
This draft is styled for Twitter; for other social media platforms and newsletters, please tag/mention Generations United and use the full name of the Network (Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center).
The graphic can be copied and included in your promotion. If you use the graphic, please be sure to add alternative text so that people with visual disabilities have equal access to the content of the graphic.
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Individual Technical Assistance Spotlight | | |
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The Network is responding free of charge to individual technical assistance (TA) requests from professionals who work in systems and organizations that serve kinship/grandfamilies. To date, we have responded to TA requests from 45 states and territories.
To request TA, please complete our Technical Assistance Request Form.
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Here's an example TA request and response.
Request
My state is looking to develop some sort of kinship advisory council or committee. Where should we begin and what are some recommendations for a successful group?
Response
Network staff held an initial video call with the requestors and shared basic information, including that advisory councils are great ways to promote cross-system collaboration and engage individuals with lived experience in informing initiatives to support kinship families. The Network then reached out to states with existing advisory councils and hosted a 90-minute learning collaborative during which the requesting state learned from council leaders/ participants in Washington, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Colorado. The requestors walked away with key tips, which Network staff are compiling into a tip sheet to share widely with other states wanting to pursue such councils. Among the many tips shared by state peers:
- Try to get dedicated staff and funding.
- Be clear on the goals of the council before starting.
- Make sure to focus attention on networking and outreach. Ask your kinship navigator program to promote the opportunity to participate in the Council so that it can be represented by more individuals with lived experience.
This is an example of the type of individual assistance the Network is ready to provide to you, too. For an individual request, please complete this form and we will get in touch.
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Upcoming Presentations About the Network | |
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Leland Kiang, the program manager at USAging who oversees USAging’s role in the Network, and Ana Beltran, the director of the Network, will be presenting at the American Society on Aging conference in Atlanta. Their presentation will take place on Wednesday, March 29.
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Network subject matter expert Angelique Day and Ana will be on a panel during a morning plenary session on tribal kinship navigator programs during the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) conference in Reno, Nevada on Monday, April 3. NICWA's Sarah Kastelic, Tara Reynon, and Alexis Contreras; Generations United's Robyn Wind; and Ana will also participate in a Network/NICWA workshop session, which will take place on Tuesday, April 4. The Network will also have a booth at the NICWA conference.
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What's New Around the Network? | | |
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Child Welfare: HHS Is Taking Steps to Help States Support Relative Caregivers with Evidence-Based Programs Report
U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
The GAO is a non-partisan research body of the federal government that has produced several helpful, data-rich reports over the years on kinship/grandfamilies and the programs that strive to serve them. For this report, GAO was asked by members of Congress to examine kinship navigator programs, their beneficial elements, how states are using federal funds for their programs, and challenges these programs have faced in meeting federal evidence-based requirements. Ana Beltran, the director of the Network, and Jaia Lent, the deputy director of Generations United, provided background information for this report.
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Social Engagement Virtual Summit
engAGED and Commit to Connect
Tuesday and Wednesday, May 9 and 10, 2023
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET (both days)
This event will bring together national, state, and local leaders for interactive sessions on the latest research, innovative programs, and tools and resources for the aging and disability networks. The Virtual Summit will highlight the topics of social engagement in rural communities and supporting the social connectedness needs of unpaid caregivers. There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. The full agenda is available on the event page.
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Relatives as Parents Program Grants
The Brookdale Foundation Group
Proposals Due Thursday, June 22, 2023
The Brookdale Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP) aims to develop or expand services for kinship/grandfamilies. Public state agencies and nonprofit organizations from across the United States are eligible to apply. Each selected entity will receive a seed grant of $30,000 ($20,000 year one and $10,000 tier two), contingent on progress made during year one and potential for continuity in the future. States must match the seed grant 100% in cash or in-kind.
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Field-Initiated Approach to Addressing Racial Bias and Inequity in Child Welfare
Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Applications Due Thursday, June 22, 2023 (estimated)
This is a forecast for a federal cooperative agreement with an estimated post date of April 21, 2023. Through this program, ACF plans to award eight cooperative agreements, each for $400,000 to $500,000. This funding opportunity is intended to enable communities to design and lead targeted solutions to systemic issues of disproportionality experienced by racial and ethnic minorities at varying points across the child welfare continuum. Solutions should allow for inclusivity of those with lived experience, shared power in decision-making, and community-led efforts towards strengthening and supporting families.
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Did you receive this newsletter as a forwarded email? You can sign up to get it in your inbox every month! | |
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The Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network is the first-ever national technical assistance center for those who serve grandfamilies and kinship families. It was created to help guide lasting, systemic reforms. The Network is a new way to collaborate, to work across jurisdictional and systemic boundaries, to eliminate silos, and to help one another and be helped in return. Thank you for being part of it.
We'd love to hear from you! Please send any feedback on this newsletter to mweiss@gu.org.
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The Network is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $9,950,000 with 95 percentage funded by ACL/HHS and $523,684 and 5 percentage funded by non-government sources. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
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![JOIN US FOR A WEBINAR! Intersection of Kinship Care and Culture: African & Caribbean Communities in America / Wednesday, April 12 / 2 p.m. ET [Headshots and labels for Moderator Dr. Anita Rogers, Speaker Dr. Eric Edi, and Speaker Dr. Hadih Deedat] Logo for the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network](https://files.constantcontact.com/40ea7ecc001/f1599847-4043-4f91-a2f5-e715e0d3b7b8.png?rdr=true)
