We provide support to kinship caregivers, relatives who are raising the child of another family member. For most relatives, suddenly becoming a caregiver can be an overwhelming responsibility. YMCA Kinship Support Services strengthens support systems by offering county-wide services to help caregivers preserve the family unit and avoid the entry or re-entry of children into the foster care system.
Our program promotes safety, permanency and overall well-being for kinship families through case management, support groups, and respite services.
NAVIGATION AND CASE MANAGEMENT
We provide education and advocacy to help navigate complex systems, including the Child Welfare System (CWS), school system, public assistance and healthcare. We offer in-home visits for support and permanency planning, as well as, information and referrals to further resources in the area.
SUPPORT GROUPS
We host 8 support groups throughout San Diego County to allow kinship caregivers the opportunity to share their experiences, provide education on resources and receive emotional and moral support from each other.
Kinship Support Services also partners with Grossmont Community College's Foster, Adoptive and Kinship Care Education Program to provide parenting education to our support groups. Child care is included on site and support groups are available in English and Spanish.
RESPITE CARE
For kinship caregivers who are over 55 years old, we partner with The County of San Diego, Aging and Independent Services (AIS), to provide a short-term break to relieve the emotional, physical and financial stress of providing continuous kinship care. Eligible caregivers can receive up to 120 hours of childcare, before and after-school care, day camp or overnight camp. This allows the caregiver the opportunity for rest and relief and engages the child in safe and enriching activities.
To apply for respite care, please download the AIS Respite Forms and return to our office at 2929 Meade Ave, San Diego, CA 92116, Attn: Kinship. Due to the high volume of requests, please submit your completed forms at least three months prior to your desired respite dates.
Here are the entire respite packets in ENGLISH or ESPAÑOL to download.
Please note that the forms listed below are PDF files and may require certain software to view. Download the free Adobe pdf reader here.
COVER SHEET and RESPITE INFORMATION | ||
YMCA BRANCHES | ||
RIGHTS & GRIEVANCES POLICY | ||
CLIENT AGREEMENT | ||
CLIENT INFORMATION PACKET | ||
RESPITE REQUEST FORM |
Contact Us
For more information about Kinship Support Services, please contact Melissa Brooks via email or phone at (619) 719-9179.
For professionals, complete and email this Referral Form to [email protected] or [email protected].