Kids and Families Together Kinship Brochure English Brochure 1.8MB PDF Spanish Brochure 2MB PDF

What is Kinship/Relative Care?

Kinship Care, sometimes referred to as "relative care," is the full time parenting of children by grandparents, other relatives, neighbors or friends of the family.

These courageous, caring individuals have stepped in when parents have been unable to raise their children for reasons such as addiction, incarceration, military duty, physical or mental illness. This happens in all cultures and locales.

Many of these caregivers may be seniors, in poor health, socially isolated and/or emotionally unprepared to assume the responsibility of children who may have emotional and behavioral issues resulting from separation, grief and loss, multiple placements, prenatal exposure to drugs, and/or abuse or neglect.

The following services are available for Kinship Caregivers:

Kinship Support Services Program (KSSP)-Ventura County Children & Family Services has selected Kids & Families Together to provide kinship support services through the state funded Kinship Support Services Program (KSSP)

KSSP provides community-based family support services to relative caregivers and the dependent children placed in their homes by the juvenile court and to those who are at risk of dependency or delinquency.

Our program is aimed at helping relatives do the best job they can in raising these children. services for kinship families include support groups, respite, information & referral for legal & guardianship assistance, mentoring, tutoring, and when funds are available, provisions for food, clothing, transportation, safety equipment,
beds and furniture.

Click here to view our Kinship Brochure
Click here to view our Kinship Brochure in Spanish

For more information on our KSSP program or copies of our brochures, please contact Sylvia Orozco at 805.643.1446, extension 107.

Support, Education & Training (S.E.T.) – In-home education and training for foster and kinship caregivers provided by supervised educators, interns and trainees who have specialized knowledge and training in subjects of interest and relevancy for caregivers of children who have suffered trauma, loss, grief, multiple placement changes and prenatal exposure to drugs and/or alcohol.

Clinical Case Management (C.C.M.) - Family driven in-home support for pre- and post-adoptive families as well as long term guardianship and kinship families. Kids & Families Together’s professional team works closely with the family to design supports that will integrate and celebrate new family members, as well as provide information related to parenting skills and topics such as birth family, normative developmental stages, and healthy attachment. Clinical Case Managers will provide crisis stabilization and follow-up as needed, as well as referrals and linkage to other family-serving community partners.

Counseling Services – Traditional therapeutic interventions are often ineffective with children who have experienced early trauma, attachment disruption, multiple placements, and/or prenatal exposure to harmful substances. Children who come from these backgrounds often struggle with issues such as grief, loss, attachment disorganization, regulatory problems, and a wide spectrum of challenging behaviors. Kids & Families Together therapists have specialized training in two models of family-centered therapy, Theraplay® and Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, both of which have been recognized for their efficacy with attachment resistant children. For additional information on the counseling services offered at Kids & Families Together, please contact 805-643-1446 extension 103 to inquire about our monthly counseling orientation.

Last Updated: 04/05/08

Kids & Families Together
856 E. Thompson Blvd.
Ventura, CA 93001