Caregivers

• Foster Parent
• Relative Caregiver
• Non-Related Extended Family
• Legal Guardianship
• Foster Adopt Parent
• Adoptive Parent

Foster Parent

• Foster Parent (also called Resource Families) – provide temporary out-of-home care for foster children while arrangements are made to return the children to birth families. Foster parents do not replace a child’s birth family, but foster parents do assume many of the roles of the child’s parents and must provide for the child’s needs beyond food and shelter while the child is in their home.

Relative Caregiver

• Relative Caregiver – California (AB 938, 2009) and Federal law (PL 110-351) requires that when a child is removed from the home, known relatives must be located, contacted and told about the child’s removal within the first 30 days of the removal. The law allows for consideration of relatives as a placement resource for the child during this difficult time. According to Welfare and Institutions Code section WIC 361.3(c)(2) – Relative means an adult who is related to the child by blood, adoption, or affinity within the words “great”, “great-great”, or “grand” or the spouse of any of these persons even if the marriage was terminated by death or dissolution. However, only the following relatives shall be given preferential consideration for the placement of the child: an adult who is a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or sibling. The expectations of a relative who accepts placement of a child in their home are the same as those for licensed foster parents.

Non-Related Extended Family Member (NREFM)

• Non-Related Extended Family Member (NREFM) – The law defines a Non-Related Extended Family Member (NREFM) as an adult who has an established familial or mentoring relationship with the child, such as a godparent, a teacher, or a neighbor. The county welfare department shall verify the existence of a relationship through interviews with the parent and child or with one or more third parties. The third parties may include relatives of the child, teachers, medical professionals, clergy, neighbors, and family friends.

Legal Guardianship

• Legal Guardianship  – Legal guardianship is a court order that says someone who is not the child’s parent is in charge of taking care of the child. Legal guardians have many of the same rights and responsibilities as parents.

Guardianship is most frequently used by relative caregivers who wish to provide a permanent home for the child and maintain relationships with extended family members. Unlike adoption requirements, caregivers can assume legal guardianship of a child in out-of-home care without termination of parental rights.

• Non-related Legal Guardian
• Relative Guardian (Kinship Guardian)
• NOTE: There are 2 kinds of guardianships in California. Most guardianship cases are in probate court. If Child Protective Services (CPS) is involved in the case or the child is a dependent of the juvenile court, the guardianship case will probably be in juvenile court.

Foster/Adopt Parent

• Foster/Adopt Parent (also called Concurrent or Resource Families) – Concurrent caregivers are foster parents and prospective adoptive parents at the same time. Concurrent caregivers can be relatives or non-relative foster parents who provide foster care for children while reunification services are provided to the child and his or her birth parents. Concurrent caregivers actively support reunification efforts and are also willing to provide a permanent home when it is not possible for children to reunify with their parents. If reunification with the birth family does not occur, the concurrent caregivers may then pursue adoption.

Adoptive Parent

• Adoptive Parent – these families provide a permanent, safe, stable and loving home for a child when it has been determined that the child cannot safely be returned to their birth parents. Adoptive parents can be relatives or non-relative families.