Greenlight Family Services has served kin caregivers since 2003. Kin caregivers include any primary caregiver who is an adult relative of the child, such as a grandparent, aunt, cousin, or sibling, or a non-related adult with a family-like bond with the child, referred to as ‘fictive kin’.
Parents may become unable to care for their children due to substance use, incarceration, deportation, death, and more. They might make a voluntary, informal arrangement for a relative to care for their child, temporarily or permanently. Alternatively, a family court may order the removal of the child due to abuse, neglect, or delinquency.
Regardless of your circumstances, Greenlight’s Kinship Care team is here to assist. Through the generous funding of the Illinois Department on Aging, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, and the Illinois Bar Foundation, Greenlight offers the following services for kin caregivers:
FUNDS AND BENEFITS ASSISTANCE
- EFSP (Extended Family Support Program) – Subsidized Daycare, School Enrollment, Funds for Furniture, Clothing, and Other Essential Items
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) – Food Benefits
- WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) – Special Checks for Healthy Foods
- TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) – Monthly Grant $ including the Child Only Grant
- Social Security – Benefits Paid to Grandchildren and/or Disability Benefits
- Medical Care – Employer-Provided Insurance, Medicaid, Illinois AllKids Coverage
LEGAL AID
Legal custody empowers caregivers to enroll their child in school, consent to medical treatment, manage benefits, and make other vital decisions on the child’s behalf. Greenlight attorneys can help you obtain legal adoption or guardianship or guide you through custodial back-up planning.
Read More
Legal Custody | Adoption | Guardianship | Adoption vs Guardianship
ADOPTION OR GUARDIANSHIP?
WE CAN HELP YOU DETERMINE WHICH LEGAL CUSTODY IS RIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILY
Click the button below to view the Illinois Adoption and Guardianship Comparison Chart. This chart was created in partnership with Generations United.
If you are caring for a minor relative, need help securing food, clothing, day care, or other basic needs, or have questions about custody or your legal status as a caregiver, please contact Greenlight’s Kinship Care team today.
773-728-7800 or kinship@greenlightfamilyservices.org
“This [program] is wonderful! As an adult domestic infant adoptee, I recognize the importance of keeping families together whenever safe/possible. Thanks for the work your organization is doing to help with those efforts 🌻 your organization helped us with our 2nd parent adoption which went more smoothly than we could have imagined, and I recommend you often 🌈.”
Please call for a free consultation at 773-728-7800 or 800-572-2390, or simply email us to learn more.