Kinship Care (Family & Friends)
Relatives and non-relative extended family members (example: coach, babysitter, neighbor or friend) are considered first if a child must be placed outside of the parents' home. These people are carefully screened through an extensive home evaluation and site inspection. Each adult residing or working in the home must pass a criminal record check before the child is placed into their home.
Relatives and non-relative extended family members, (kinship) are offered training to help them meet the special needs of the children and to understand the Children and Family Services requirements and expectations. Shasta County reimburses the relative or non-relative extended family member for the cost of care. (The amount is determined case by case.) The home is reassessed on a yearly basis.
If you know of a child in care, and are interested in becoming a Kinship Care Provider, contact Children and Family Services at 530-225-5650.
Read more about placing a child in the home of a relative.
Click on the image above for a Kinship Application Packet
All forms must be submitted to quality for this program. Each form must be filled out by you, the applicant, and returned to the address below.
Mail packet to:
Department of Social Services
PO Box 496005
Redding, CA 96049-9915
For more information, call 530-225-5858.
Frequently Asked Questions
What needs to happen before a child can come home with me?
Once your paperwork has been turned in, your fingerprint results have been returned, and your background has been cleared, a social worker will take the case to a placement staffing to determine what placement is in the best interest of the child.
The agency's first priority is to the child and the bond that he or she has with her parents, therefore, priority for visitation is given to the parents. However, we do understand that you have a special relationship with the child, and we will do our best to make sure that your relationship is maintained.
What happens at the first court hearing?
The first hearing is called the Detention Hearing. It tells the Judge and parents why the child was removed from the parents. The parent has a chance to ask questions and to be given an attorney. The Judge tells the parents their legal rights.
What happens after the Detention Hearing?
The next hearing is the Jurisdictional/Dispositional Hearing. At the Jurisdictional Hearing, the court decides if some or all of the concerns about the parents are true. At the Dispositional Hearing, the Judge decides if the child should be returned home, or stays in foster care. If the court decides the child needs to be protected, the child is made a dependent of the court. The parents are then ordered to do several things in order to get their child back. These things are written in a case plan.
What do the parents have to do to get their child back?
The parents will have to complete their court ordered case plan. The case plan is a list of things the parents have to do to get their child back. It is put together by the social worker and the parents, and includes things that will help the parents keep their child safe. Things like parenting classes, drug or alcohol treatment, mental health treatment, or anger management classes may be part of the case plan. The goal of the case plan is to provide the services that will help the parents get their child back as soon as possible.
What other court hearings can I expect?
There will be court hearings no less than once every six months. The social worker will write a report telling the court how the child and the parents are doing. You will also fill out a form telling the court how the child is doing. This keeps the Judge updated on both the progress of the parents, and the child.
Why am I asked if I can permanently care for the child, even when the parents are doing everything the court has ordered?
The social worker must follow the rules of Concurrent Planning. This means that while the parents are doing what their case plan says, the social worker has to plan for a permanent place for the child to live if the parents stop working on their case plan. Sometimes parents do really well until just before their child is to move back home. Then, something happens and they use drugs or alcohol, commit a crime and get arrested, or stop visiting their child. If this happens, the social worker has to have a permanent plan for the child.
Can I go to court? Do I have to go to court? Does the child have to go to court?
You can go to the court hearings, but you do not have to. The Judge will ask you to identify yourself if you are in the courtroom. The courtroom is not open to the general public. Do not bring friends or other relatives to court with out talking to the social worker first. There can be a long wait for your case to be called. You will have to wait in the hallway with the other people waiting for their case to be heard. In the court room there will be a Judge, at least three attorneys, and other court workers. Sometimes the social worker is in court, and sometimes they are not. The parents may, or may not be in court. The child can go to court also. If the child wants to go, talk about it with the social worker.
Judges and social workers use words, sentences and acronyms that are hard to understand. Any time you do not understand something, ask the social worker to explain it to you. The relative resource advocate can also help you understand confusing words or statements.