OCFS Kinship Programs

OCFS Kinship Programs

The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) funds local kinship programs that serve specific counties in New York State, providing case management and other assistance to kinship caregivers. Please click on each individual program for more information. For a complete listing of kinship programs, please visit the county resource page.

New York State Unified Kinship System of Care

OCFS Kinship Online Training – Addressing Caregiver Challenges

Catholic Charities of Buffalo – Kinship Program

2636 West State Street
Suite 301
Olean, NY 14760
Program Contact: Danielle Kielar for Allegany
Phone: 716-372-0101 ext. 3747
E-mail:danielle.kielar@ccwny.org
Program Contact: Jennifer Norton for Cattaraugus
Phone: 716-372-0101 Ext 3745
E-mail:jennifer.norton@ccwny.org
Website:https://ccwny.org/family-safety-stabilization/

This program is a partnership with Catholic Charities, YMCA of Twin Tiers and Elder Law.  To be eligible, kinship families must have Article 6 (permanent custody) or informal custody to qualify (Allegany County), and need to be TANF eligible if Cattaraugus County.  Legal guardianship, Article 10, and KinGAP are not eligible to participate.

• Case management and referral services: home visits, linkages with community agencies, finding out the needs of the families and how to help them; 1-4 times per month.
• Support groups-separate for adults and children: For adults: the curriculum PASTA (Parenting a Second Time Around) once a month. For children: once a month focusing on  stress management, listening skills, self- esteem building, bullying prevention.
• Education sessions: ElderLaw lawyer will be presenting on legal issues; 3 times per quarter
• Family engagement activities:  family swim nights, movie night, craft night, etc. once a month
• Maintenance and family preservation services: respite for the children once a month

Serves Allegany and Cattaraugus Counties.

A New York State Office of Children and Family Services Program

Catholic Charities Family and Community Services – KIN Program

87 N. Clinton Ave
Rochester, New York 14604
Program Contact: Laura Weaver
Phone: (585) 546-7220 ext. 4802
Email:  lweaver@cfcrochester.org
Website:https://www.fcscharities.org/

It can be overwhelming to help raise the child of a family member when the parent(s) cannot. Grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles often become the non-parent caregivers for the children of a family member when the parent(s) are unable to raise them. The Catholic Family Center is here to help with this important responsibility. Serves legal custodians and families with no formal legal designation.

Services include:

• Meeting in the home to provide emotional support
• Provide referrals and connecting to services and resources
• Invitation to the monthly support/informational group (on hold during COVID pandemic)
• Help applying for any eligible financial assistance
• Fun Family Entertainment (on hold during COVID pandemic)

Serves Monroe and Wayne County.

A New York State Office of Children and Family Services Program

Community Action Program for Madison and Chenango County, Inc.

3 East Main Street
Morrisville, NY 13408
Program Contact: Deborah L. Donnelly
Phone: (315) 684-3144 ext. 25
Email:ddonnelly@capmadco.org
Website:http://www.capmadco.org

The Kinship Care Program offers case management, advocacy, referrals and appointment assistance to kinship caregivers residing in both Madison and Chenango County, NY.  Caregivers include grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins or adult siblings caring for related children, as well as close family friends or similar non-relative relationships.  Kinship caregivers can be through informal arrangements (without court involvement) or those with court ordered custody.  Guardianship, foster care and kinship foster care, as well as adoption cannot be supported through this program.

 

The Family Center – Kinship Program

493 Nostrand Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11216
Program Contact: Trish Jean-Louis X132
Phone: (718) 230-1379 x 140
Fax: (718) 638-1628
Email:intake@thefamilycenter.org
Website:https://www.thefamilycenter.org/what-we-do/family-support-services/family-ties/

The Family Center’s Kinship Program serves kinship caregivers with no formal designation and legal custodian families in the Kings (Brooklyn) and Richmond (Staten Island) counties.

Family Ties Program:
Across New York City, there are over 80,000 households led by grandparents or other kin who are raising children due to the illness, absence or loss of their biological parents. The Family Center offers a full array of services to these families, who are often struggling financially and emotionally. Across the five boroughs of New York City, most kinship caregivers and adoptive parents will be eligible for services under one of our caregiver contracts. Services can be delivered in the office or home.

Services include:

• Individual and Family Counseling, with specialization in family transitions, trauma, and grief and loss
• Developing a permanency plan to address who will care for children if a caregiver becomes incapacitated or dies
• Case management and advocacy to ensure families have all the services and benefits that they need
• Legal assistance on family law, housing, lifetime planning and benefits matters
• Recreational activities for families
• Parenting groups and support, specialized for grandparent caregivers
  • Kinship Support Group (Virtual and in person)
    • Virtual group meets twice a month. In person meets monthly.
    • Contact our intake department for more information.

Services are available in English, Spanish, French and Haitian Creole.

TFC’s services for adoptive parents and kincaregivers are funded by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services

Family Service Society of Yonkers

30 South Broadway
5^th Floor
Yonkers, NY 10701
Program Contact: Carolyn Fluckinger
Phone: (914) 963-5118
Fax: (914) 308-3281
Email:cfluckinger@fssy.org
Website:http://www.fssy.org
Program Contact for Rockland: Janet Reyes, Case Manager
Phone: (646) 773-1338
E-mail:jreyes@fssy.org

Provides case assistance and management, case advocacy, caregiver support groups, parenting and communication workshops, information and referral, family and youth events, free summer youth program, parenting and communication workshops, material assistance, access to mediation, counseling and legal services. Serves legal custodians and families with no formal legal designation.

Services Include:

•  Case Management & Assistance
•  Case Advocacy
• Caregiver Support Groups – Grandparent and Relative Caregiver Support Group Meeting (Virtual): Presentations on parenting issues, group discussion, and peer support.
• Takes place on third Friday of the month from 10:00AM-11:00AM
• Contact Kayla Urena ( (914) 310-4915 or kurena@fssy.org )
• Takes place on second Friday of the month from 10:00AM-12:00PM
•  Contact Bettye Malone ( (914) 963-5118 or bmalone@fssy.org )
•  Parenting & Communication Workshops
•  Information & Referral
• Family & Youth Events
• Youth Support Group – Youth Empowered for Success (YES!) Meeting (Virtual): Presentations on adolescence and other topics, group discussion, and peer support
  • Contact Kayla Urena ( (914) 310-4915 or kurena@fssy.org )
• E-tutoring
  •  Free Summer Youth Program
  •  Material Assistance
  • Access to Mediation
  • Counseling
  • Legal Services

The Family Service Society of Yonkers Kinship Support Program now has a Kinship Family Material Assistance grant. This grant provides assistance to qualified grandparents and other relatives who are raising children without the parents in the home to obtain services and items they need for the children in their care.    Here are some of the resources which can be provided through the grant:

•     Summer camp fees
•     Utilities and rent assistance
•     Tutoring and after school programs
•     College related expenses
•     Clothing
•     Groceries
•     Other needs

 Please contact Sarah Harris for more information and to apply,Sharris@fssy.org or 914-963-5118, ext. 504.

Serves Westchester and Rockland Counties

New York State Office of Children and Family Services Kinship Caregivers Program

Hillside-Kinship Caregiver Program

1 Mustard St
Rochester, NY 14609
Program Contact: Beth Harrington
Phone: (315) 459-1606
Email:bharring@hillside.com
Website:https://www.hillside.com/
The Hillside Kinship Care Program is designed based on the unique needs of kinship families with a goal to support and strengthen families, promote permanency, and ensure the well-being of kinship children. This program serves families with informal or legal custody of a youth between the ages of 0-18, free of charge. Services are provided by experienced kinship parents and other kinship professionals.

We understand the challenges grandparents, relatives or any non-parent caregiver may experience at times and the need to secure consistent resources and meet other kinship families.

Participating families will be connected to a Permanency Specialist who will provide one to one support to help caregivers identify tools to manage challenging youth behaviors, navigate legal, school and mental health systems, secure community resources and connect with other kinship families through support groups and recreational activities.

Detailed services include:

• Individual advocacy and one to one case management support
• Monthly Caregiver and Youth support groups
• Access to Hillside’s 24/7 Crisis Support Line
• Family-focused social/recreational activities
• Caregiver education groups and trauma-informed trainings
• Parenting A Second Time Around “PASTA” workshops
• Referrals and connections to targeted community-based services

Program Serves: Monroe and Erie County.

Hope for Youth -Kinship Program

201 Dixon Avenue
Amityville, NY 11701
Program Contact: Leslie Messeder
Phone: (631) 691-5100 ext. 6306
Email:lmesseder@hfyny.org
Website:https://hfyny.org/

The Kinship Caregiver Program will serve families in both Nassau and Suffolk County who have informal or legal custody of children between the ages of 0 -18.  The Kinship Case Manager will conduct monthly home visits for the first 3 months and will continue for up to 6 months. Case management services will focus on the long-term objective of increasing the caregiver’s capacity to care for the children in their care and reduce stress.  Needs of the family will be assessed and the Kinship Caregiver Case Manager will make appropriate referral and connect family with local supports and resources.  Families will have access to Hope for Youth services such as mental health, Child-Parent Psychotherapy, Children and Family Treatment Support Services and Health Homes.

Hope for Youth is partnering with Cornell Cooperative Extension, who provides:

• Monthly Virtual Support Groups – Separate for both adults and children
  • Caregivers must be involved in the Kinship Caregiver Program to have access to these support groups.
  • Contact Leslie Messeder for more information
• Education-Parenting A Second Time Around
• Family Engagement-Monthly social activities will be planned for the families in the program in each county.

Serves Nassau and Suffolk Counties

A New York State Office of Children and Family Services Program

New York Council on Adoptable Children (COAC) – Kinship Program

333 West 39th Street
Suite 201
New York, NY 10018
Program Contact: Joann Buttaro, Melissa Holiday
Phone:(646) 483-5901
Email:jbuttaro@coac.org
Website:http://www.coac.org

COAC’s Kinship Program serves kinship caregivers with no formal designation and legal custodian families in the New York (Manhattan) and Queens counties.

Services Provided:

• Individual and family counseling in your home and at COAC’s office
• Advocacy and referral services for mental health, counseling, and other community services
• Support Groups and Educational Workshops
• Help finding mentoring, tutoring, career and academic planning, employment and other services for youth.
• Telephone WARMLINE for information and crisis counseling
• Coordination with COAC’s legal services for families affected by HIV/AIDS

These services can be provided in the home, community, and/or office. All services are available in English and Spanish.

Serves New York (Manhattan) and Queens Counties

A New York State Office of Children and Family Services Kinship Caregivers Program

 

OLV Human Services-Kinship Caregiver Program

790 Ridge Road
Lackawanna, NY 14218
Program Contact: Barbara Farrow
Phone: (716) 828-9796
Email:bfarrow@OLVHS.org
Website:https://www.olvhumanservices.org

Provides services to caregivers in Erie and Chautauqua counties who have Article 6 or 1017 custody arrangements, as well as those caregivers providing informal care arrangements for children not biologically their own.

Services include:

• Family-driven case management provided by an MSW Case Manager
• Hourly respite services available for caregivers (as needed basis)
• Kinship Peer-Lead Support Groups, Educational Sessions, Family Engagement Activities, and Interactive Groups for children
  • One Saturday per month, group runs for three hours to include a one-hour peer lead support group, one-hour educational group, and one-hour family engagement activity. A children’s support group is concurrently lead and open to all children in the caregiver’s household.
  • One Thursday per month a one-hour virtual support group is also available.
  • Must be enrolled in the kinship caregiver program to participate.

Group curriculums are evidence based and include the PASTA training (Parenting A Second Time Around) and TCIF (Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Families).

Serves Chautauqua and Erie County caregivers.

A NYS Office of Children and Family Services Program

St. Catherine’s Center for Children (SCCC) Kinship Care Program

40 North Main St.
Albany, NY 12203
Program Contact: Tiffany Carroll
Phone: 518-769-2053
Email:kinshipcare@st-cath.org
Website:https://www.st-cath.org/

The St. Catherine’s Center for Children (SCCC) Kinship Care Program serves the Albany-Schenectady region of upstate New York. A care coordinator and kinship specialist are trained to focus on the needs of kinship caregivers that have informal or legal custody of children up to age 18. With an emphasis on permanency interwoven into all activities, elements of the program include:

• Case management and referral.
• Community education for the families.
• Support groups for caregivers.
• Family engagement activities.
• Support groups for children in program.
• Short respite periods, as needed, for the caregivers.

Families receiving SCCC kinship care services participate in support groups, crisis management training, peer-to-peer support activities, and 1:1 educational sessions that are designed to aid the caregivers in successfully navigating social service and legal systems to obtain much-needed services and support.

Parenting a Second Time Around is the guiding curriculum for the program support groups. Additional training sessions are aimed at increasing the caregivers’ understanding of trauma and how to best provide strength-based parenting to the children in their care and promote stability in the home.

One key feature of the SCCC kinship care program is the brief period of restorative relief from supervising the child(ren) that is provided to the caregivers, with the intent to decrease family stressors and temporarily relieve the caretaker(s) from the demanding responsibility of providing care. The children spend time with the trained respite provider in community outings and educational activities.
The program also regularly solicits the input of the caregivers and families to fine-tune services to the specific needs of program participants.

St Catherine’s Kinship Care Brochure

Serves Albany and Schenectady Counties.

St. Catherine’s Center for Children (SCCC) Kinship Care Program

53 Albany Ave
Kingston, NY 12401
Program Contact: Lilian Leveque
Phone: (518) 646-3373
Email:Lleveque@st-cath.org
Website:https://www.st-cath.org/

St. Catherine’s provides residential and group home placement for children for which a lower level of care- such as foster care- may not be suitable. Outcome-oriented, individualized, strengths-based services are provided to each and every child and his/her family by a treatment team.

The St. Catherine’s Center for Children (SCCC) Kinship Care Program serves the Ulster-Greene region of upstate New York. A care coordinator and kinship specialist are trained to focus on the needs of kinship caregivers that have informal or legal custody of children up to age 18. With an emphasis on permanency interwoven into all activities, elements of the program include:

•  Case management and referral.
•  Community education for the families.
•  Support groups for caregivers.
•  Family engagement activities.
•  Support groups for children in program.
•  Short respite periods, as needed, for the caregivers.

Families receiving SCCC kinship care services participate in support groups, crisis management training, peer-to-peer support activities, and 1:1 educational sessions that are designed to aid the caregivers in successfully navigating social service and legal systems to obtain much-needed services and support.

Parenting a Second Time Around is the guiding curriculum for the program support groups. Additional training sessions are aimed at increasing the caregivers’ understanding of trauma and how to best provide strength-based parenting to the children in their care and promote stability in the home.

One key feature of the SCCC kinship care program is the brief period of restorative relief from supervising the child(ren) that is provided to the caregivers, with the intent to decrease family stressors and temporarily relieve the caretaker(s) from the demanding responsibility of providing care. The children spend time with the trained respite provider in community outings and educational activities.
The program also regularly solicits the input of the caregivers and families to fine-tune services to the specific needs of program participants.

Program Brochure

Serves Greene and Ulster Counties