Quick Tips for Caregivers March 2026

How training for kinship caregivers differs from foster parent training—and why the distinction is so important

When I became a kinship caregiver thirty years ago, I was not expected to complete a comprehensive training and in-depth screening process to be able to provide care for the 9-year-old boy that I was asked to care for. With only several hours of “training,” I found myself lost in confusion about my new role and how to “do it” correctly for this young man. It was a lot.

At the time, kinship caregiving (caring for a child/youth you already have a relationship with) seemed to be handled more by Grandma and Grandpa or Auntie or a known adult from an earlier time in the life of the youth (which was me), and caregivers in that role were embraced by child welfare…but also didn’t seem to get anything like the training that traditional foster parents received. Kinship caregivers, like me, often entered quickly into the role without much notice or preparation and had no idea what to expect, even if they had children of their own (which I did not).

As I met more kinship caregivers and listened to their experiences of parenting their brother’s child, their grandkid, or their neighbor’s teenager, I saw that these caregivers needed different support and training than what I found foster parents were receiving. Here are some of the key differences.
Key differences between Foster Care Training and Kinship Care Training
Foster Care Training Kinship Care Training
Primary Goal General preparedness for a new or any child entering the home Child-specific stabilization and support for a relative or known child
Social Context Building a new relationship with the child/youth/family Redefining existing family relationships and role shifts
Financial Focus County-established stipends and reimbursements
  • Accessing TANF, GAP, and child-only benefits
  • State-specific family-dependent resources
Cultural Focus Learning about a new child and their culture Maintaining and strengthening the existing family culture
Timeline and Urgency Training is lengthier, often taking 3–6 months before a child is placed Training is often alongside placement or after placement, or as needed, when challenges arise; often the child is already in the kinship home, leading to condensed training expectations
Relationship Focus
  • How relationships with spouse or their own children may be impacted
  • Supporting the child’s parents of origin
  • Maintaining the child’s sibling connections
  • The unique family-within-family complexity not found in foster parenting (changing family dynamics)
  • Boundary management (creating new family boundaries with the child’s parents, who may be their own children or a sibling)
  • Role reversal (emotional shift from being Grandma or Auntie or family friend to being primary authority figure)
  • Grief and guilt (kin caregivers are close to the child’s parent’s challenges/barriers and often in need of skills to communicate less emotionally and to process losing a relationship while the relationship is still present in their life)
Lens of Trauma-Informed Care Focus on recognizing unknown trauma through the behaviors of the child/youth Additional focus on intergenerational trauma and possible triggers of the child’s behavior or birth parent’s actions

The emphasis in child welfare has shifted to kinship caregiving in recent years, and I’m proud to be a part of making this deeper, comprehensive training more available to kinship caregivers in Colorado. CWTS offers this support in the class Kinship Care Connections: Building Resilience Within Your Family. With the guidance of the facilitator, you’ll go beyond the basics of kinship care to master the evolving family dynamics and role changes unique to your situation. This seminar provides the insights necessary to break down relational barriers, ensuring a more connected family unit and a healthier environment for your children.

Read about our ongoing training for caregivers and how to register.