The Kinship Care Program provides assistance for relative caregivers during the 180-day transition period when a child first moves into the non-parent caregiver’s home (relative caregivers are non-parental relatives, such as grandparents or aunts and uncles, who take on the responsibility of caring for a relative child). The program assists in meeting immediate needs for clothing, shelter, health, safety, and educational supplies.

Financing of the program is provided by the Delaware General Assembly and is limited to available funds. The program is provided through a partnership between the Division of State Service Centers, the Division of Social Services, and the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities.

The eligibility criteria for the Kinship Care Program include the following:

• The transitioning children must be under 18 years of age.
• The caregiver must be a relative to the 5th degree.
• The caregiver’s family income must be less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
• The children’s parents cannot live in the caregiver’s home.
• The children’s transition must have occurred within 180 days of application.