North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced that funding assistance is now available to help with the legal costs of gaining guardianship as a kinship caregiver.
Offered through the HHS Kinship-ND program, caregivers can apply to receive up to $2,500 to help complete the initial guardianship process. Caregivers must be receiving Kinship-ND services before applying for funds.
Kinship caregivers are adults who provide full-time care, nurturing support, protection and care for children who cannot remain safely in their parents’ home. These caregivers can be a grandparent, aunt, uncle, godparent, older sibling, extended family member or someone who shares a close relationship with a child (also known as fictive kin).
Today there are more than 765 North Dakota caregivers who provide care to more than 1,325 children in a kinship care arrangement.
“We are happy that funds are now available to help kinship caregivers provide safe and stable homes in familiar environments,” HHS Children and Family Services Director Cory Pedersen said. “Kinship care is one of the best ways to keep families connected and at the same time ensure the safety and well-being of children.”
For more information and to apply for kinship caregiver guardianship establishment funds, email kinship@nd.gov or call (701) 328-1453, 711 (TTY).