Supporting Relatives and Kin to Care for Their Own
About
The Center for Kinship Services at Children’s Community Programs of Connecticut (CCP) offers services tailored to the unique strengths and needs of relative and kinship caregivers, designed to support caregivers to help children thrive. We are based in New Haven but serve relatives and kinship caregivers throughout the state of Connecticut. All services are free.
Program Goals
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Improve stability and permanency for children in kinship care
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Increase support to kinship caregivers by connecting them with other caregivers
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Increase the percentage of children in foster care living with relatives
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Help support and meet unique needs specific to kinship foster care
Services Provided
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24/7 Kinship-Specific Supports and Services - to help caregivers navigate and connect to a wide variety of services including legal, financial, health and educational. Staff provide case management, family-centered assessments, training, support groups and consultation with local family therapists as needed
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Family Search and Engagement - to find initial kinship connections for children, as well as back-up supports and alternative permanent family members
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Peer Support – from other kin caregivers and TFC foster parents to support kinship families with child-care, respite care, practical help and emotional support based on their shared experiences
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Consultation – and training for child welfare agency staff, policymakers and advocates about kinship practice, programs and policy
Program Highlights Staffing
The Center is staffed by a Program Director, a full-time Kinship Coordinator, members of CCP’s Care Management team with expertise in the Caring for Our Own approach to training and peer to peer support, and the Recruitment, Training and Matching (RTM) team with expertise in family search and engagement.
Contact
Ryan McMahon, Kinship Coordinator
Phone: 203-786-6403 x135
Email: RmcMahon@ccp-ct.org