What is Kinship?
A kinship care arrangement is when children are living full time with
their grandparents, other relatives, or near relatives (such as family
friends, God Parents, etc), and these adults have taken on the parental role for
the children. Sometimes kinship care is temporary, and sometimes it becomes a
permanent family arrangement, possibly leading to legal guardianship or
adoption.
What is KSSP?
 KSSP (Kinship Support Services Program) is a state funded
program designed to provide qualifying California Counties with
resources to improve the support of and outcomes for families formed through
kinship care. Lilliput is the private agency partner in El Dorado, Napa
and Sacramento Counties.
What is the Need?
It is estimated that over 600,000 grandparents in California are raising
their grandchildren, which gives California the highest such number in
the nation. In addition to grandparents, other relatives find themselves
raising children adding to this alarming national trend.
How KSSP Helps
Lilliput’s Kinship Support Services Program (KSSP) is designed to
provide support to kinship families, particularly those formed voluntarily
and informally without the assistance of a child welfare agency. We
understand that kinship families are often formed suddenly and out of
crisis. No one is ever prepared for this type of situation and
that’s where KSSP can help. Think of KSSP as your “one stop” kinship
shop. Our trained staff is there to meet your needs and answer you
questions, or help you find someone who can.
KSSP provides support to relative caregivers who are struggling with
the challenges of raising kin, and to those families who want to
connect with other families in their same situation. Through outreach and
collaboration with other community based organizations, Lilliput is
uniquely positioned to offer the following support services in El
Dorado, Napa and Sacramento Counties:
- In-home Support
- Counseling
- Support Groups
- Respite
- Advocacy
- Information & Referrals
- Assistance with Basic Needs
- Legal Referrals
- Guardianship & Adoption Assistance
- Family Activities
- Play Care
- Mentoring
- Children’s Recreation and Youth Leadership Development
- Tutoring & Homework Help
 Impact on the Children
- Relative foster placements are more stable than placements with unrelated foster families.
- Siblings are less likely to be separated.
- Children maintain community, cultural, and family connections.
- Relatives are often willing to adopt or become permanent guardians
when reunification is not possible.
Impact on our community
Seeking to strengthen the family unit and prevent children from entering the child welfare system, KSSP is
preventative in nature, and works to keep children safely within their extended families. By receiving kinship support
services, these families thrive and juvenile homelessness, delinquency, teenage pregnancy, alcohol/drug abuse
and incarceration is drastically reduced.
Where KSSP Services are Offered
KSSP is currently offered in Sacramento, El Dorado, and Napa Counties.
With multiple public and private agency partnerships, we are able to provide
comprehensive and easily accessible services to those in need.
Do you have more Questions?
Please contact us!
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