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Lucas County Children Services

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Kinship Caregivers

When children need to be temporarily separated from their parents, LCCS first looks to caring, nurturing relatives or extended family members to welcome the children into their homes. Living with kinship caregivers can be less traumatic for children than placement in non-relative foster care. 

LCCS provides kinship caregivers with a variety of services and supports to encourage stable and successful placements. We help relatives meet the children’s needs while working with the parents to complete a case plan. These services range from counseling, to educational support, to financial assistance.

Kinship Care: Relatives Caring for Children brochure


In-Home Support

LCCS Community Advocates are available to assist kinship caregivers with important tasks, such as linking them with community programs, applying for JFS benefits and enrolling children in school.


Training

LCCS provides a “Kinship Orientation” program for new kinship caregivers. This training provides information on accessing financial support, community resources and other available services.

Ongoing training is available to assist kinship caregivers in dealing with changing family relationships, behavior management, caring for children whose parents have substance use disorders and other valuable topics. Information on these training classes is provided in the agency’s quarterly foster parent training calendar, accessible here.


Information

LCCS publishes a quarterly newsletter especially for kinship care providers. It includes  information about state and local resources, training, community activities and other topics of interest.


Kinship Subsidy Programs

Unique among Ohio counties, LCCS offers the Kinship Subsidy Program to eligible relatives who received legal custody of relative children after November 1, 2006. This stipend is supported by levy funds and is designed to supplement Ohio Works First child-only cash assistance.

Kinship Subsidy Program brochure

LCCS also administers the Kinship Permanency Incentive Program (KPI), a state program that provides financial assistance for eligible kinship caregivers who received legal custody of children after July 1, 2005.

Kinship Permanency Incentive brochure


Kinship Newsletters