The phone rings, and everything changes. In a matter of hours, a grandmother becomes a mother again, a sibling becomes a guardian, and a home becomes a safe haven. This is kinship care in Virginia.
Across the state, relatives and close family friends step up for children who can’t remain with their parents. These kinship families give children love, stability, and connection to their culture and community. But for years, they’ve done the same work as foster parents, without the same recognition or support.
That reality is beginning to change.
A Turning Point in Virginia
Virginia has taken an important step by formally recognizing kinship caregivers as a vital part of the foster care system. This change brings long-overdue acknowledgment, training, and financial support to relatives and close family friends who step in during times of crisis.
As Casey Family Programs emphasizes, prioritizing family connections leads to greater stability and stronger emotional outcomes for children. When we invest in kinship care, we invest in family preservation and the lifelong well-being of every child.
Every Family Is Unique
At Impact Living Services, we know every family’s story is different. We take pride in connecting kinship families to both natural and community supports as they build the foundation for what their new family looks like.
We also recognize that, while families want to do their best for the children placed with them, they often feel unsure about the next steps. After a court visit or social services meeting routine for professionals, but overwhelming for caregivers, many are left wondering what to do next.
Some may need to modify their home for safety, clear a yard for play, or find basic items like beds, car seats, or school supplies. Traditional families have nine months to prepare for a child’s arrival; kinship families sometimes have only a few hours.
The change in roles can also be deeply challenging. A “fun uncle” suddenly becomes a full-time guardian. A grandparent steps back into parenting mode after decades. These transitions can be confusing not only for the adult but also for the child. Through our work, we help families navigate role changes with empathy, by teaching trauma-informed parenting, boundary-setting, and communication strategies that help everyone adjust and thrive together.
How do we make that successful? By walking beside them every step of the way: with compassion, guidance, and hands-on help that builds stability and confidence.
The Ongoing Challenges
Even with this progress, kinship caregivers still face obstacles. Financial strain, legal complexities, and the emotional toll of caregiving can create real barriers. These challenges are not signs of weakness, they’re signs of systems that must evolve to meet families where they are.
As the Annie E. Casey Foundation notes, kinship caregivers need responsive systems that honor their strengths and equip them to succeed.
How Virginia Can Do Better
Recognition is the beginning, not the end. True progress means wrapping families in the kind of consistent, coordinated support that allows them to thrive.
That’s where Impact Living Services steps in, with two innovative programs designed to meet kinship families where they are: Kinship Connect and Kindred Journey.
Kinship Connect: Practical Support That Builds Stability
Kinship Connect was created to help families overcome the challenges that can lead to placement disruption. It provides trauma-informed, individualized services that promote stability, permanency, and confidence.
Kinship Connect provides:
- Assessment: Identifying each family’s strengths and needs.
- Coaching: Guiding caregivers through role transitions and trauma-informed parenting.
- Connection: Linking families to financial, educational, and community resources.
- Crisis Response: Offering 24/7 on-call support when challenges arise.
- Coordination: Working hand-in-hand with LDSS to ensure alignment and accountability.
Kinship Connect doesn’t replace LDSS, it complements it. The program fills critical service gaps through empathy, practical assistance, and reliability.
Kindred Journey: Healing Through Clinical Care
Kindred Journey adds the therapeutic and clinical foundation many families need to truly heal. Delivered by licensed clinicians, it offers:
- Clinical assessments grounded in trauma-informed care.
- Individual and family therapy to strengthen attachment and manage behaviors.
- Caregiver coaching that builds resilience and prevents burnout.
Used alone or alongside Kinship Connect, Kindred Journey ensures families receive both emotional and practical care. Together, these programs align with Virginia’s Kin First Initiative, empowering families to stay strong and connected.
By combining practical support with clinical expertise, Kinship Connect and Kindred Journey keep the best interests of caregivers and youth at the center, fostering stronger, more resilient families.
Moving Forward
Virginia has made meaningful progress, but there’s more to do. Expanding access to programs like Kinship Connect and Kindred Journey, ensuring equitable funding, and strengthening training opportunities will help every kinship caregiver succeed.
Because kinship care begins with love, but it thrives with support. When we stand beside families who open their doors, we give every child the chance to grow up surrounded by the people who love them most.
Want to Learn More or Refer a Family?
Connect with Kathryn:
804-507-5022
kathryn.likins@