Kinship Care

The full time care, nurturing, and protection of children by: Relatives (through blood, adoption or marriage); Godparents; Stepparents; or any adult who has a bond which the family recognizes as significant to the child/family.

·          Informal Kinship Care is parenting of children by kin as a result of a decision by the family.

·          Formal Kinship Care is parenting of children by kin as a result of a determination by the court and the child protective service agency.

 Our Heritage Preserved

The UJIMA Community Services Kinship Care Supportive Services Program.  We believe that Kinship Care-Giving is a traditional part of our culture and that Kinship Care is family preservation of our families—by virtue of our broader definition of family. 

We believe in strengthening the bonds of the family

Types of Services Available:

·          Legal referral information

·          DSHS System information

·          Cash assistance information

·          Tangible support for those who qualify:  home or car repairs, utilities assistance, etc.

·          Support Groups, Summer Camp referrals, etc.

·          Child support during support groups

·          Foster/Adopt information

·          Counseling information

·          Direct access to King County Kinship Navigator at meetings

·          Facilitation of Trainings/Discussion:

·          Specialized Kinship Care Parent Education Course

·          PRIDE Training Classes

·          General parent education

·          Sudden placement

·          Love/burden of the child

·          Immediate and ongoing obstacles of caring for the child

·          Family dynamics and role issues

·          Services of support (and loss due to family tension)

·          Guardianship / Adoption issues/pressures

·          Establishing Programs which have:

·          Tangible assistance and/or referral services

·          Strong component of social support

·          Institutional support and funding

·          Long-term and ongoing services

·          Ability to taps into the historic strengths and resilience of families

·          Knowledge to deal with ways formal systems are not designed to meet the needs

·          Flexibility

·          Use of community trained paraprofessionals

·          Curriculum-strengthens parenting skills

Our Support Group Meetings/Fellowships - 4th Wednesdays 6:00pm-8:30pm

Please join us at 6419 Martin Luther King Jr. Way South in Seattle - call coordinator’s office for current schedule at (888) 765-7997 ext. 1

Please click the link below to be directed to the King County Kinship Collaboration website for further information and resources!