Understanding the Unique Strengths and Challenges of Kinship Families
$0.00
Description
(February 2025)
Decades of research repeatedly confirms that children who cannot remain with their parents thrive when raised by relatives and close family friends. This type of caregiving, often called kinship care, comes with a unique set of strengths and challenges. In this session you’ll hear from two Technical Assistance Specialists with the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network and a lived expert who is a kinship caregiver. Attendees will learn about the unique strengths and needs of kinship families, tangible ways to support kinship caregivers, and how the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network provides no-cost technical assistance to professionals working with kinship/grandfamilies. The Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network is a National Technical Assistance Center for those who Serve Kinship/Grandfamilies to improve services and supports for families in states, tribes, and territories.
As the Technical Assistance Specialist for the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network, Shalah is responsible for connecting system leaders to information and resources, collaborating with subject matter experts, and supporting the wide range of technical assistance provided by the Network. [READMORE] Prior to joining Generations United, Shalah was the Program Director of Family Support Services at Catholic Charities of Louisville where she managed multiple direct service programs, primarily for pregnant and parenting individuals. In this role, she had the opportunity to coordinate a short-term program for grandparents and kin raising children. Shalah received her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Kentucky. In addition to her professional experience, Shalah is personally connected to this work as a proud member of a kinship family.
Kylee Craggett is a Technical Assistance Specialist for the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network. In this role, Kylee is responsible for supporting technical assistance requests in a variety of ways, including connecting professionals to resources and information, and promoting cross-system collaboration for jurisdictions to better serve kinship families. Kylee holds a master’s degree in social work and is a licensed social worker in Texas. In her previous role, Kylee helped create and implement a pilot kinship program at a Child Placing Agency in Texas to assist kinship caregivers in navigating foster care licensure, placement stability, and ongoing state subsidy. Her previous work in direct practice informs her passion for the ongoing need to increase services and support to kinship caregivers at a national level.
Watch time: 87 minutes
Eligible Certificate of Completion time: 90 minutes
