Kinship Care Resource Guide

The Kinship Care Resource Guide is a joint project developed by the Fairfax County Department of Family Services and Fairfax County Public Schools for grandparents and other adult relatives who have taken on the full responsibility of raising a child (or children) with whom they share a family bond. In this resource guide you will find program descriptions, eligibility criteria, costs and contact information for a variety of services in the Fairfax County area.

The complete resource guide is more than 100 pages. You may browse by chapter or download the full version (402KB in pdf format). You will need the free Adobe Reader installed on your computer in order to download these files.

To request the guide on CD or the print version, please call the DFS publications manager at 703-324-5870; TTY 703-222-9452.

Kinship Care Facts

• Kinship care is increasing as a result of family challenges, including serious mental and physical illness, financial difficulties, military responsibilities, substance abuse, incarceration, child abuse and neglect, AIDS, domestic violence and the death of the child’s parent.
• Kinship care families come from all geographic, economic, educational and racial or ethnic backgrounds.
• Nationwide,the number of kinship care families is growing, with more than six million children in the U.S. currently being raised by grandparents and other relatives.
• In Fairfax County, according to the 2000 Census, approximately 5,000 households identified themselves as having a grandparent responsible for the care of a grandchild or other relative child.

Resource Guide by Chapter

1	Table of Contents
7	Child Care Services
10	Child Safety and Child Abuse Prevention
12	Dental Services
16	Domestic Violence Resources in Fairfax County
18	Educational Services/After-School Programs/Homework Help
30	Employment Services
33	Family Supportive Services
38	Financial and Public Assistance
47	Legal Assistance
50	Medical & Health Care Assistance
60	Mental Health Services
63	Mentoring Services
64	Multicultural Resources
68	Parenting Resources
74	Recreation and Leisure
83	Resources for Children with Special Needs
88	Services for Older Adults
92	Specialized Transportation Resources
93	Substance Abuse Services
95	Support Groups
97	Additional Resources
103	Helpful Publications
104	Index