Nearly three million children in the United States, nearly 70,000 children in Virginia, and nearly 4,000 children in Fairfax County, are being raised in kinship care by grandparents, relatives, or close family friends when their parents are unable to do so.
When children must be separated from their parents, kinship care provides children with the opportunity to grow and learn in a supportive, loving, safe home environment while retaining a sense of family, cultural heritage, and community ties.
Fairfax County recognizes the importance of kinship caregivers. In keeping with The Family First Prevention Services Act, we are committed to making sure that children who are separated from their parents and enter foster care are placed in family-like settings (kinship care, foster care).
Fairfax County partners with public and private organizations to prioritize a kin-first culture where children are raised within their families whenever possible. We celebrate kinship families for their strengths and expertise and help to connect kinship families with evidence-based, trauma-informed services, resources, trainings and supports focused on kinship families’ needs. Learn more about these services.
We asked some of our kinship caregivers to share with us about their experiences caring for the children of relatives. These families open up about how full their hearts are, how rewarding it is to see the children growing, thriving, and responding to their love and support, and the unexpected benefits of drawing extended family closer together in the process of providing support. Families also share about adapting to being a primary caregiver later in life, the challenge of finding child care and the need for so much flexibility. Learn more about why 
Are you raising a child for a family member or friend? Join other kinship caregivers to discuss your experiences, concerns, and frustrations with your peers. This group offers a network to share resources and information among the group members, reducing feelings of isolation, and celebrating family successes in maintaining permanency for and the ongoing commitment to building strong families. Formed Families Forward is offering the free Fairfax Kinship Support Groups in partnership with the Department of Family Services.