Kinship Care Options

Parental Child Safety Placement Program

You may care for a child for up to 90 days through a voluntary program called the Parental Child Safety Placement Program. During this time, the child lives with you, but the parents still keep their custody and legal rights. The purpose of this program is to give parents time to work on the safety issues that led to the placement so the child can return home when it is safe. Financial help may be available, and you should speak with your family service specialist at your local agency to learn more.

  • Voluntary: Parents choose to enter the program.
  • Family First: Children should stay with relatives or close family friends whenever possible. This helps them stay connected to people they know and trust.
  • Temporary: The placement is not meant to last forever. It is a short-term plan to keep children safe while their parents work on fixing the problems at home.
  • Supportive: The local department of social services (LDSS) offers services and guidance to help families address concerns and move toward a safe reunification.
  • Legal Help: Families can choose to get their own legal advice before signing any agreements, so they fully understand their rights and responsibilities.

Custody Transfer

You can receive custody of the child through the court. When this happens, you are allowed to make important decisions for the child, such as choices about school and medical care. You can also ask for help from local and state agencies to support the child’s needs.

Kinship Resource Parent

If the child needs to enter foster care, you may still be able to care for them by becoming an approved kinship foster parent. In this situation, the local department of social services has legal custody of the child, but the child lives with you. As a kinship foster parent, you receive monthly financial support to help meet the child’s needs.

Kinship Waiver Approval Process

The Kinship Waiver lets a child stay with relatives or close family friends right away once basic safety checks are completed. Families then have up to six months to finish the full approval process. This helps children stay connected to people they know while still meeting all safety and legal rules:

1. Discovery & Notification
  • Local Departments of Social Services (LDSS) look for relatives or close family friends who might be able to care for the child.
  • If someone is interested, they receive the Kinship Foster Parent Approval Process Letter within 15 days.
2. Initial Assessment
  • LDSS uses the Permanency Assessment Tool (PAT) to work with families, learn about their strengths, and find out what support they may need.
  • The main focus is the child’s safety, permanency, and well‑being.
3. Immediate Placement (Pre-Approved)
  • Before placement, LDSS completes:
    1. A home visit using the Physical Home Environment Checklist
    2. Virginia State Police name search on all adults in the home
    3. CPS Central Registry search
    4. If there are no barrier crimes, no CPS findings, and no safety concerns, the child may be placed right away under the Kinship Waiver
4. Post-Placement Requirements (Within 72 Hours)
  • All adults in the home must complete fingerprinting for FBI criminal checks and sex offender registry checks.
  • LDSS sends requests for CPS Central Registry checks, including checks for any state the adults lived in during the past 5 years
5. Full Approval Process
  • Families must complete:
    1. Home Study/Mutual Family Assessment (MFA)
    2. Physical exams and TB screenings (these may be waived for up to 6 months)
    3. Additional paperwork, background checks, and sworn statements
    4. Once everything is completed, LDSS gives a Certificate of Approval (COA) that is valid for 36 months.

 

 

6. Ongoing Support
  • LDSS provides training, support, and teamwork to help kinship placements stay strong.
  • Families may receive waivers for some non‑safety requirements, such as space or furniture needs. Safety‑related rules cannot be waived.

Adoption

If a child in foster care cannot return home, kinship foster parents may become permanent caregivers through adoption, and you can become the child's legal guardian. 

Adoption by kin gives children in foster care a permanent, stable, and loving home with people they already know. Virginia uses a “Kin First” approach, which means children should stay with family whenever it is safe and possible.

1. Become an Approved Resource Parent
  • Relatives or fictive kin must complete the resource family approval process, which includes:
    • Background checks (criminal, CPS registry, DMV)
    • Home visits and safety checks
    • Mutual Family Assessment (MFA), also called a home study
    • Pre-service training to prepare caregivers for foster care and adoption
2. Care for the Child in Foster Placement
  • The child must live with the relative or fictive kin as a foster placement before adoption can move forward.
  • During this time, LDSS provides support to help keep the placement stable and meet the child’s needs.
3. Adoption Planning
  • If the child cannot safely return home, adoption becomes the goal.
  • Relatives or fictive kin work with LDSS to:
    • Review the child’s permanency plan
    • Make sure all legal steps are completed
    • Learn about financial supports, such as adoption assistance
4. Legal Adoption Process
  • LDSS helps relatives or fictive kin file the needed court paperwork.
  • The court reviews the case to make sure adoption is best for the child.
  • Once approved, the caregiver becomes the child’s legal parent.
5. Post-Adoption Support
  • Families may receive:
    • Adoption assistance payments
    • Services for children with special needs
    • Support from VDSS and local agencies to help keep the family stable

KinGAP (Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program)

Becoming the permanent legal custodian means you take on long‑term responsibility for the child’s care. Through the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP), you can receive monthly financial support to help meet the child’s needs. This option is used when the child cannot safely return home and adoption is not the best choice.

Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) in Simple Steps

KinGAP helps relatives or close family friends who become legal guardians of children in foster care. It provides monthly financial support and services so children can stay with family.

Process

  1. Get Approved – Become an approved kinship foster parent through the Local Department of Social Services (LDSS).
  2. Care for the Child – The child lives with you as a foster placement for at least 6 months.
  3. Choose Guardianship – If reunification or adoption is not the best plan, guardianship may be.
  4. Apply for KinGAP – LDSS helps you complete the application.
  5. Receive Support – Families receive monthly payments and services until the child turns 18 (or sometimes longer).

KinGAP provides financial help and stability so children can grow up with family instead of aging out of foster care.

If you want to become a kinship caregiver, or if you have a child, you would like a family member or close family friend to care for, contact your  local department of social services.

 

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