Welcome to the April Kentucky Kinship Resource Center (KKRC) Newsletter!

We are excited to bring you the April edition of this newsletter, highlighting all of the programs and events designed to support YOU as a kinship caregiver.

Featured in this newsletter...

We are interested in your feedback about the KKRC Newsletter and what you want to see in future issues! Please fill out the form below and let us know how we can best support you as a kinship caregiver.

The KY-KINS program is seeking a full-time Peer Supporter with lived kinship experience, to provide one-on-one peer mentoring services to Kentucky’s Kinship caregivers. This position is designed to connect relative and fictive kin caregivers to state and community resources that can provide vital supports for their kinship family, support and encouragement for the kinship journey, education on kinship-related processes, and guidance in helping caregivers navigate the kinship world

KY-KINS (Kentucky Kinship, Information, Navigation, and Support) is an individualized, one-on-one support program that matches kinship caregivers with trained Peer Supporters who have personal experience in caring for a kinship child.

Connect with a Peer Supporter virtually every week to receive support, guidance, education, and resources relevant to your situation as a kinship caregiver. 

Hey Kinship Caregivers! I wanted to let you know that we offer KIN-VIP, virtual support groups for Kinship Caregivers so they can share experiences without having to leave home. This is a great way to grow your support team and learn new ideas for your growing toolbox of supports and resources! I’ve had several of my people attend groups.

Check out what one grandmother told me about the Advocacy: Making Your Voice Heard support group facilitated by Arion Jett Seals: “I thoroughly enjoyed it. They were very welcoming and allowed me to share a bit of what I went through. It was a positive thing.” 

I encourage you to try a group that fits with your schedule and meet other caregivers just like YOU!

The KIN-VIP Support Group Program is an exciting, new way to meet other kinship caregivers in the state through an online platform. Designed to be easily accessible through zoom, participants can access meetings from the comfort of their own home, while finding support on a schedule that works best for you!

Led by caring, compassionate leaders with kinship experience, KIN-VIP provides kinship caregivers with a safe place to bring their questions, learn new ideas from other kinship caregivers, and find resources that can truly help. Whether you come once and just listen, or come as often as your schedule allows, we are here to help you find answers.

Not sure which group is for you? Just call Sheila Rentfrow at 859-257-4785 or email sheila.rentfrow@uky.edu for assistance in getting connected!

Dale and Anna Sanders facilitate the Kinship Families Impacted by Substance Use group and are a great support for kinship caregivers who are coping with a loved one’s substance use. Dale and Anna are raising their granddaughter, who they have since adopted, and enjoy yard work, reading, crafting, party planning, and spending time with family. Dale and Anna believe that Kinship Care can help families survive and thrive through difficult times and consider helping other kinship caregivers as time well spent.

The Kinship Families Impacted by Substance Use Group meets twice per month, on the first and third Tuesday of every month, from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm EDT by Zoom. This group is a wonderful way to find support, resources, and community. Join us on April 2 and/or April 16 at 7:30 pm EDT to find your community of people!

Check out all of our April Support Groups by clicking the button below!

The KINSHIP Catalogue is an online resource page where you can find an array of resources to help you in your kinship journey. From LIVE webinars, to On-Demand Webinars, and Training Modules, the Catalogue continues to expand with new resources, and offers participants a library of information that can be accessed at anytime. Check out what’s coming this month:

Autism Series, Part I: Understanding Autism and other Spectrum-Related Disorders in Children. Tuesday, April 23 from Noon - 1:30 p.m. EDT

Autism can be difficult to understand and recognize. For caregivers, hearing that your child has autism (or is on the spectrum) can be terrifying and confusing. Caregivers can become fearful over their child’s future and how they will be able to meet their needs. In this webinar, we’ll focus on understanding Autism (and other Spectrum-related disorders), and identifying recognizable signs in children by participating in a panel discussion of advocates and caregivers from the Autism Society of the Bluegrass.

Check out the new On-Demand Webinars that have been added to the Kinship Catalogue!

Did you know… Kentucky has one of the highest populations of kinship families in the country? One in 12 children in Kentucky are raised in kinship care. You are not alone as a kinship caregiver.

Here at the Kentucky Kinship Resource Center, we are innovating new ways, new opportunities, and new resources for Kinship caregivers to connect, while supporting each other in our kinship journeys. There is a space for you at the KKRC!  Not sure if you are a kinship provider? See below to see if you are caring for a child in a kinship situation:

Whether you need support or you would like to offer support, please connect with us and share your kinship heart. As always, if I can help you in your kinship journey, please feel free to call me at 859-257-4785 or email me at sheila.rentfrow@uky.edu 

Sheila Rentfrow

Kinship Program Coordinator

University of Kentucky College of Social Work

Centers & Labs Training Resource Center

1648 McGrathiana Pkwy, Suite 400

Lexington, KY 40511

859-257-4785

sheila.rentfrow@uky.edu