Checklist for Kinship Caregivers Working with the Schools

Developed by Va Department of Education’s Family Engagement Network (FEN) and Formed Families Forward, this checklist is for any kinship caregiver who is enrolling a child or youth in schools and working with schools to get appropriate services and supports.

Working with Kinship Caregivers Checklist for Schools

This checklist developed by Va Department of Education’s Family Engagement Network (FEN) and Formed Families Forward offers schools a checklist for school staff to use when working with relative or kinship caregivers raising children and youth.

Engaging Families in Mental Health and Disability Services tip sheet

This one pager from the new Northern Virginia Family Network (NVFN) designed for professional staff who work with families and youth. It offers some brief, straightforward suggestions and reminders about effectively communicating and building partnerships with families who are in need of education, mental health, disability and other services and supports.

Members of the NVFN are found on the back of the flyer.

Raising and Working with Children and Youth in Foster Care or Living with Kin: Your Guide to Resources in Virginia

This Guide from Virginia Family Special Education Connection offers families and professionals links to state- and local-specific resources for enrolling students, education, medical care, mental health, transitioning students to post-secondary settings, courts, and other areas.

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  Website resource

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  Flyer

Summary of Family First Prevention Act

Signed into law in February 2018, the Family First Prevention Act reforms child welfare funding streams and focuses on prevention supports for families “at risk” of foster care, and adds supports for kinship navigation and other kinship initiatives.

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  Summary by First Focus Campaign for Children

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) information on who is considered “Parent” for financial aid

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) information on who is considered “Parent” for financial aid.

If you are considered a dependent student for FAFSA® purposes, you will need to provide information about your legal parent(s) on the application. A legal parent is your biological or adoptive parent, or your legal parent as determined by the state (for example, if the parent is listed on your birth certificate). If you have a stepparent currently married to your legal parent, you generally also must provide information about him or her.

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  More info and how to apply

Virginia Code section regarding enrolling kinship children in school: Section § 22.1-3

Virginia Code section regarding enrolling kinship children in school: § 22.1-3. Persons to whom public schools shall be free.

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  Virginia Code § 22.1-3

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Kinship Care and School Enrollment in Virginia, report for the Virginia Commission on Youth

Kinship Care and School Enrollment in Virginia, report for the Virginia Commission on Youth.

Power of Attorneys: Introduction, from Legal Aid Justice Service

Introduction to Powers of Attorney including answering what is a Power of Attorney, what are the benefits of executing (completing and signing) a Power of Attorney.

Instructions for Power Of Attorney including steps for the agent to perform.

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  Introduction to Powers of Attorney

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  Instructions for Power Of Attorney

Education for Immigrant Students and Children of Immigrants, from Legal Aid Justice Center

National Resource Center for Diligent Recruitment

The National Resource Center for Diligent Recruitment, NRCDR website closed on September 29, 2017. The NRCDR website is not being maintained but will remain available through March 2019.

Kinship webpage from Child Welfare Information Gateway

Supporting Kinship Caregivers Podcast series

Supporting Kinship Caregivers Podcast Series from Child Welfare Information Gateway.

Download to list to part 1 & part 2 of the podcast, or get the transcripts.

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  Podcast Part 1

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  Transcript Part 1

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  Part 1 Website

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  Podcast Part 2

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  Transcript Part 2

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  Part 2 Website

Kinship Treatment Foster Care toolkit

Hope and Healing for Sensory Deprivation

This booklet provides an overview of Sensory Deprivation or Sensory Processing Disorder. Based on the work of Carol Kranowitz and Karyn Purvis, information on definition, origins, detection & diagnosis,  and treatment are included.

The Grandparent’s and Other Relative Caregiver’s Guide to Raising Children with Disabilities from the Children’s Defense Fund

Children’s Defense Fund Guide to Resources for Kinship Families

Fairfax County Kinship Quick Guide

Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren

Compilation of Kinship Resources

Meeting the Unique Needs of a Growing Population

Kinship Adoption: Meeting the Unique Needs of a Growing Population, from Child Focus.