CONCORD – New Hampshire Children’s Trust recently announced the release of the Kinship Navigation Program’s Kinship & Relative Caregiver Guide, a comprehensive resource for individuals raising children who are not their own.

Currently, more than 17,500 New Hampshire youths live with grandparents or other relatives, arrangements often referred to as kinship care. Kinship care arrangements are critical because they help children and adolescents maintain family connections, increasing well-being, should they be placed in the care of others.

While kinship care helps minimize trauma, improves overall well-being, and increases permanency for children and adolescents, caregivers can experience unexpected financial hardship, emotional strain, and may require legal guidance.

“In this situation, when relatives step up to take care of these children, they don’t have the ability to be the grandparent, to be the aunt and uncle, or to be the big brother or sister, they have to step into the role of parent,” says Diane Yeo, Family Support Specialist for Kinship Navigation.

Thankfully, the Kinship Navigation Program can help. Kinship Navigators provides free, voluntary, and confidential services throughout New Hampshire, linking kinship caregivers to the programs and support like food assistance, gas to get to appointments, school supplies, respite care, and much more.

The newly released Kinship & Relative Caregiver Guide walks kinship caregivers through various options and how to connect with Kinship Navigators spread throughout the Granite State at Family Resources Centers.

“The guide is designed to connect kinship caregivers to resources quickly and easily,” says Joelyn Drennan, Senior Program Director. “There is a whole community of support and services available to relative caregivers that can help the children and adolescents in their lives thrive.”

More information on New Hampshire’s Kinship Navigation Program is available at www.nhchildrenstrust.org/kinship.

For questions about the Kinship Navigation Program or to make a referral, please contact Joelyn Drennan at drennan@nhchildrenstrust.org or 603-415-0506.

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