September is Grandparent and Kinship Month in Ohio

 Governor DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Husted have declared September as Grandparent and Kinship Month in Ohio.

Across the country, approximately 2.6 million children live with a kinship caregiver. In Ohio, we have more than 227,000 children under the age of 18 living in homes whose caregivers are relatives other than their parents. The Office of Families and Children (OFC) recognizes the importance of grandparents and kin raising children when their parents are unable to. Children raised by kinship caregivers have less trauma, fewer mental and behavioral health issues, better permanency outcomes, and sibling connectivity. 

Over the past several years, OFC has expanded services and benefits available for kinship caregivers.
⇒Two years ago, ODJFS launched the statewide Ohio Kinship and Adoption Navigator Program (OhioKAN) in partnership with Kinnect. OhioKAN has served over 3,000 families since that time.
⇒In December of 2020, ODJFS implemented the Kinship Support Program which provides up to six months of financial support to kinship caregivers who have taken placement of kin children.
⇒Kinnect to Family, a specialized, intense, family search and engagement program, has worked with ODJFS to expand the populations served. The Kinnect to Family Program operates in over 25 Ohio counties and has served over 2,000 children across the state.
⇒We are looking forward to the Kinship Guardianship Assistance program which will provide another permanency option for children.

We also want to recognize the commitment of the grandparents and kinship caregivers in Ohio. Thank you for your dedication, often going above and beyond to meet the child(ren)'s needs. We recognize the important role these caregivers play in creating the best possible outcomes for Ohio's most vulnerable youth.