Kinship
Mentoring
According to "Kinship
Care: A Natural Bridge" (published by CWLA, 1994) ""care of children by kin is
strongly tied to family preservation. . the involvement of kin may stabilize
family situations, ensure the protection of children, and prevent the need for
placement into the more formal child welfare systems.""
 Emphasis
The Twelve Inc.
Kinship Mentoring Program is designed to respond to needs of relatives who are
providing care for their kin that is grandchildren, nieces and nephews. The
program is designed to provide a two-prong approach: that is, to respond to the
caregiver and to respond to the youth being cared for by the caregiver. The
primary outcome of this service is the reduction in the number of requests for
removal of children from kinship homes.
Service Highlights
* Relieve stress for
the Caregiver
* Assist the caregiver in obtaining needed services
* Help the caregiver parent at-risk children
* Provide guidance and discipline
* Assist caregiver with child focused activities
* Enhance functioning level of the youth
* Provide recreational and leisure activities for the youth
* Improve child's functioning in the home, school and community
* Improve social functioning of the youth
* Teach child coping and mediation skills
Kinship Mentors are mature, stable, caring adults, hired as part-time staff
from the local community, and trained and supervised by licensed social
workers. The Kinship Mentor helps the youth participate in educational,
vocational, and employment programs, as well as recreational or structured
leisure time activities. Kinship Mentors will support relatives by providing
recreational and leisure opportunities for children in placement in the
relative home. They will provide homework assistance for these children and,
when appropriate, will help adolescents with seeking and maintaining
employment. This in turn will provide the relatives with some time and space
within the course of each week for themselves and the other children in their
home. It is a goal that as a result of this one-on-one (or small group as in
the case of a sib group) these children will experience increased self esteem,
and will respond more appropriately in the family, school and community.
Through this program the relatives will experience a sense of support and will
continue to provide a family setting even when experiencing difficulties with
these children.
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