The Daily Standard
Story Archive
CELINA - A new program has been launched to provide financial assistance to Mercer County adults who are caring for other people's children but not considered foster parents.
Mercer County Job and Family Services has established the Kinship Support Program to offer qualifying individuals $2,000 per child or up to $5,000 a household for three or more children, according to agency director Angela Nickell.
A kinship caregiver is a person who has a preexisting relationship with a child temporarily placed under their care or the child's parent, Nickell said.
It could be an aunt, uncle, grandparent or close family friend looking after a child while the parents undergo rehabilitation or a parent strengthening exercise.
"We like to look for kinship placements because it keeps the family together," Nickell said. "The children, if they have to be removed from their parents for whatever reason, at least they are with someone who they know and probably already love."
For instance, if a child is removed late at night due to a domestic situation, they're already frightened.
"To have a caregiver come forward who knows them, maybe was at their baptism, their last birthday party, their aunt, uncle, cousin, friend, that's a big relief to that child to go to them as opposed to a stranger," Nickell said.
Kinship placements also enable easier parental visitations. On the other hand, it's a lot to ask a family to temporary care for another child or children, especially with today's cost of living, Nickell added.
"Kinship families are not paid like a foster parent. They're not licensed. They're more an aunt, uncle, grandparent, typically," Nickell explained. "They don't fall under our foster kid program where we have money to help with Christmas and clothing and so forth."
Kinship caregivers can apply directly to the state for financial assistance. But the application process takes time, and funding is limited, Nickell said.
Mercer County JFS Social Service Administrator Jason Cupp suggested the agency tap its internal funds to provide financial assistance to county caregivers, according to Nickell.
With the county commissioners' blessing, the agency earlier this month debuted the Kinship Support Program. The program is limited to $150,000 and runs through Dec. 31, 2025.
However, Nickell said the agency would like to make it a permanent line item in its annual budget, which is reviewed each year by the board of commissioners, the county's primary taxing and appropriating authority.
"Jason Cupp really came up with this idea because he felt like we have local funds that we could spend on this with the commissioners' approval, and we could use it to support in addition to what they're giving at the state, maybe things that kind of fall through the cracks like appliance repair or clothing for a kid who's just got a growth spurt, that sort of thing. It's not a lot, but it's a help."
The intent is to relieve some of the pressure on kinship caregivers.
"The last thing that we want to do is hurt another family when they're trying to maintain their own and they take in a child instead of a foster care situation," Nickell said.
Nickell said there are probably about 50 kinship caregivers in the county at this time. However, there are likely more out there as legal custodians have the right to choose their child's caretaker without notifying the state.
And they might not even know that there are resources available to help them.
"We are reaching out with letters … but I imagine there are several who really have never thought about it, maybe they've never even looked to any type of government assistance for their own lives and their own children and they're a little wary about even looking out for these children."
To be eligible for the program, the home in question must include at least one minor child who resides with a kinship caregiver, legal guardian or court-ordered legal custodian who is not their biological parent. No biological parents can reside in the home.
The child must be placed with a kinship caregiver through a power of attorney, guardianship, temporary custody, legal custody or by a public children service agency.
Mercer County JFS kinship support can be used on home-based services; parent and educational services; mentoring services; clothing up to $300 per child each six months; behavioral support services; pest control; respite care; hygiene and cleaning products; rent, utilities and emergency housing; child restraint seats; food; school supplies and fees; purchase or repair of furnace/water tank, walls, roofing, plumbing and flooring; appliance purchases or any service which supports or stabilizes the kinship home and is approved by Nickell.
