Give Hope for the Holidays this year. Match with a child receiving support from The Buckeye Ranch and help make the season bright.
The Buckeye Ranch’s Kinship Care program provides a variety of resources and supports for relatives and non-relative kin who step up to provide full-time care for youth.
Our team helps Kinship Caregivers earn certification so they can access additional financial, educational, and case management supports. Our continuum of care wraps around families to ensure they have the supportive services they need throughout their journey.
Kinship care describes when relatives or family friends, who are not a child’s birth parents, become the child’s primary caregivers. This can include grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings, family friends, and others who are already connected with the child.
Kinship care plays an important role in strengthening communities by keeping children connected to their families, culture, and support systems during difficult times. It helps preserve vital family relationships while making sure children stay connected to what they know best: their family, their friends, and their routines.
Placing a child with kin can provide stability, familiarity, and a sense of belonging, all of which help reduce trauma and promote positive outcomes for youth.
Maintains family connections. Children stay tied to the people, culture, and history they already know.
Reduces trauma and disruption. Familiar faces and familiar homes soften an already difficult transition.
Supports stability and belonging. Children feel wanted and rooted rather than displaced.
Helps children stay in their community and school. Friendships, teachers, and routines carry forward.
Welcoming a kinship placement into your home can be both exciting and stressful. There are opportunities for supportive services to help make the process more manageable for you and your family. Families who take in kin placed in the custody of a county agency can inquire about becoming a certified kinship caregiver. Once that process is complete, your kin would then be officially placed in your home as a foster child, which opens up financial support, case management support, and resources from the foster care team at The Buckeye Ranch.
Discover if you qualify to become a Certified Kinship Caregiver by clicking below to find out more.
Deciding whether to become a certified kinship caregiver is a big decision. The Buckeye Ranch is here to answer your questions and guide you through the process. The process to become a certified kinship caregiver is the same as becoming a licensed foster parent. By becoming licensed, you gain:
An arrangement supported by a court decision for placement of a relative or non-relative child when they cannot remain with their parents. This may include private court agreements or arrangements with a child welfare county agency.
An arrangement made directly between a parent and a caregiver without court involvement. These families generally do not have formal documentation regarding their status as caregivers for the kin children they are supporting, as the arrangement is intended to be part-time and/or temporary.
Kinship arrangements look different from family to family. Understanding which type applies to your situation helps determine what supports you may be eligible for.
Inquire to become a certified kinship caregiver through our website or by reaching out to our recruitment team. You must be at least 18 years old to apply. One of our Recruitment Specialists will connect with you to answer questions and provide support.
Complete the Department of Children and Youth’s foster care application.
You will be assigned a Licensing Specialist through The Buckeye Ranch.
Complete a series of interviews and gather the required documentation, including criminal background checks (please keep in mind there are offenses that may disqualify you), a fire inspection, a home safety audit, a medical exam, and financial documentation.
A home study will be conducted in your home and with your family. This process takes approximately three to six months to complete.
Upon completion of this process, you will become a state of Ohio certified kinship caregiver for the kin in your home.
The custodial agency and The Buckeye Ranch work together to change the placement status of the kinship child or children in your home to foster care status.
Every kinship caregiver in Ohio can tap into statewide navigation and support, whether or not you pursue certification.
Cost is one of the biggest concerns kin caregivers raise. Support is available both through The Buckeye Ranch and through the State of Ohio.
There is no specific income threshold. Certified Kin Caregivers are required to have sufficient income to meet their household needs.
No. The child will enter care with medical coverage. Sometimes coverage can be pending, but your assigned case managers will work individually with you to navigate this.
While the kinship caregiver is primarily responsible for transportation, we can provide additional support in all regions.
Kin Caregivers who are eligible to become certified kinship caregivers gain the benefit of foster care per diems, a daily rate for each night you care for the youth in your home.
Kin Caregivers may also be eligible for additional financial resources. All kinship caregivers in Ohio can access OhioKAN Navigators, who can help connect them with resources.
Our case management team is here to help, and we provide monthly training topics to assist you on your kinship care journey.
As a certified kinship caregiver at The Buckeye Ranch, you may also be eligible for other services in our continuum of care to assist with behavioral and mental health needs.
Becoming certified typically takes three to six months. The steps are application, paperwork, and home study interviews.
The Department of Children and Youth sets the requirements for disqualifying offenses. Our team will work with you to determine if you are eligible to move forward in the process. You can review the full rule in the Ohio Administrative Code, Rule 5180:2-5-09.1.
Hear from caregivers who stepped up for the children in their lives.
Take these with you, share them with family, or bring them to your first conversation with our team.
Call 1-800-296-5113
Email FCParentInquiries@buckeyeranch.org
Call 513-772-5800
Email FCParentInquiries@buckeyeranch.org
Stepping into a kinship caregiver role is a powerful act of love. We are here to support you every step of the way. Our Recruitment Specialists will walk you through the process, so contact us today.