Kinship Support Services Program

Children and Family Services > Kinship Support Services Program

Wayfinder’s Kinship Support Services Program is a kinship navigation service that supports grandparents, extended family members or close family friends who step up and fill an important gap for millions of children so they avoid the trauma of separation from their birth family, enabling them to heal and thrive. The program is here to support kinship families on their journey. Our philosophy is that children should have every opportunity to be raised within their family of origin and/or with people with whom they share a connection. Our program is free of charge to families.

Over 600,000 grandparents in California are raising their grandchildren–the highest such statistic in the country. Kinship care fills critical gaps because the state has a shortage of resource families and many are not willing to accept siblings, which kinship caregivers are more likely to do. Meeting the needs of kin caregivers by connecting them with community resources and strengthening natural support systems can ease their burden, bringing caregivers a wide range of support.

Download program flyer.

Winner of the 2026 Innovative Impact Award

“I am thrilled to recognize Wayfinder Family Services’ Kinnections program, which aims to bridge gaps in services and ensure kinship caregivers have the supports and resources they and their families need to thrive,” says Jody Levison-Johnson, president and CEO of Social Current. “They are an incredible example of innovation and collaboration within the human services sector.”

We received an Exemplary recognition from the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network.

Who We Serve
Families who reside in one of the 7 counties where we offer kinship navigation services
(Butte, Contra Costa, Monterey, Placer, Sacramento, Santa Cruz, Sonoma) or who have a
child that is a dependent of the county where services are offered are eligible for services.
Caregivers must be one of the primary caregivers for a kinship child living in the home and
can be informally (not CPS court dependent) or formally (CPS court dependent) caring for
a kinship child, including post-permanency through legal guardianship. We collaborate
with County Social Workers to provide relative planning and supports for possible
placements and/or ongoing relative connections as well as recognition of the significance
of tribal supports and inclusion for Native American families. There is no timeframe or time
limit on how long a child has been living with their caregiver for the family to receive
services.

Program Highlights
The Kinnections program provides service and systems navigation, linking families to
natural support within their communities and advocating for them when there are gaps in
services.

Individual assistance from a well-trained kinship staff provides understanding and support
while addressing a wide range of issues and concerns.

Outreach
Trainings on kinship related topics
Family Activities & Events
In-home Support
Support Groups
Respite Resources
Advocacy
Information & Referrals
Legal Referrals
Guardianship Workshops & Adoption Assistance
Family Activities
Mentoring
Assistance with Basic Emergency Needs

Kinnections Program Flyer

If you would like to access the Kinnections Program manual, please contact Brooke Derrick at (707)387-8340 or by email at BDerrick@wayfinderfamily.org.

Butte County
289 Rio Lindo Avenue
Chico, CA 95926
phone: (530) 896-1920
fax: (530) 896-1885
ALynch@wayfinderfamily.org

Contra Costa County
300 H Street, Ste. E
Antioch, CA 94509
phone: (925) 384-1650
CCCKSSP.referrals@wayfinderfamily.org

Placer County
1540 Eureka Road, Suite 100
Roseville, CA 95661
(530) 722-2233
placerkssp@wayfinderfamily.org

Monterey County KSSP
1020 Merrill Street, Unit 2005
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 889-2555
MontereyCo.Referrals@wayfinderfamily.org

Sacramento County KSSP
910 Florin Road Ste. 112
Sacramento, CA 95831
(916) 688-4750
southsacramentoksspreferral@wayfinderFamily.org

Santa Cruz County
1400 Emeline Ave
Santa Cruz, CA
(831) 239-3216
cbyck@wayfinderfamily.org

Sonoma County
2255 Challenger Way, Suite 100
Santa Rosa, CA 95407
(707) 603-3500
santa.rosa.office@wayfinderfamily.org

Frequently Asked Questions About Kinship Care

If you are a current kinship care provider or know someone caring for a kinship child you may have questions about how our kinship navigation services can help. See our frequently asked questions below, or contact us directly.

FAQs

What is Kinship Care?

Are you raising your grandchild, either permanently or temporarily?

Are you parenting your younger siblings, nieces/nephews, or another relative’s child?

Are you caring for a godchild or child of a close friend?

All of these situations are called “kinship care.” Kinship care exists to keep children safely within their extended families when their birth parents are unable to care for them. Wayfinder’s kinship navigation program focuses on assisting relative caregivers and family friends who are working to strengthen their families and protect the children in their care.

Why is Kinship Support Needed?

Raising a grandchild, niece/nephew, younger sibling or another relative’s child can be stressful. Wayfinder’s kinship navigation program provides support and information to caregivers to help assist with the accessibility of resources and helps families work with the systems involved in a child’s life – medical, mental health, school. Our supports connect families with other kinship caregivers and help children get involved in youth activities and recreation to ensure they are provided with a safe, healthy environment and nurturing relationships.

How Do I Enroll in Kinship Services?

If you are currently caring for a kin child, you can contact Wayfinder’s local kinship center by phone, email or walk-in directly to request services (see locations tab). You can also contact your local county’s child welfare department to request kinship services. County staff should be able to connect you with a local kinship provider. If you are a kinship family receiving services in another Wayfinder program and reside in one of the counties where we offer kinship services, you can request kinship services from Wayfinder staff.

How Long Can I Receive Services?

Duration of services depends on the needs of the family. A family can be enrolled in services and supports from a few months to 2 years, or longer. If a family enrolls in in-home support/case management services, the case management generally lasts from 3 to 6 months. Families who are enrolled in other core services, such as support groups, information & referrals, family activities & events, and kinship related trainings generally participate for years. Families are eligible for services as long as they continue to be a primary caregiver for the kinship child in their home.

How Much Do Kinship Care Services Cost?

Our services are completely free to kinship families. We are contracted by several counties to provide local kinship navigation support services to families residing in the area.

Where Are Kinship Services Provided?

Wayfinder’s kinship services are provided in the most convenient location for the families we serve, including at a family home or Wayfinder’s offices. We have local kinship offices, often referred to as kinship centers, which are safe and easily accessible to caregivers and families. Each of our kinship programs also provide virtual options for access to services, including options such as Zoom meetings for family support/care-management, support groups, and events when required or requested.

In 2021, Wayfinder Family Services was selected as the sole national awardee of a three-year federal Connections Grant to demonstrate an evidence-based model of kinship navigation programming. The grant was funded by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families, under the Family Connection Grants: Building the Evidence for Kinship Navigator Programs initiative.

The Kinnections project was a multi-agency partnership across five counties where Wayfinder provides kinship navigation programs: Butte, Placer, Sacramento, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma. The initiative was also supported by the California Department of Health & Human Services.

Child Trends, a nonprofit research organization focused on improving programs and policies for children and families, led the mixed-method, quasi-experimental outcome study. The study measured caregiver outcomes related to well-being, access to services, referrals, and satisfaction, and compared these with kinship caregivers in eight counties not served by Wayfinder’s program.

Kinship navigator programs offer information, referrals, education, and linkages to essential resources and supports for grandparents and other relatives raising children. Research has shown these programs support positive outcomes in safety, permanency, and stability for children in relative care, and there continues to be a need for evidence-based research in this field.

Beginning in June 2022, we surveyed kinship caregivers when they first requested services (in the Kinnections treatment counties) or when they first learned about the study (in comparison counties). A follow-up survey was conducted four months to one year later.

A total of 556 kinship caregivers enrolled in the study. Of the 556 baseline surveys and 387 follow-up surveys received, 116 matched pairs were identified across treatment and comparison groups. Enrollment concluded in January 2025, and follow-up collection ended at that time. Data analysis began in February 2025 and the final evaluation report was completed in September 2025.

Key Findings

Caregiver Satisfaction: Kinship caregivers in the treatment group were significantly more satisfied with the services they received compared to caregivers in the comparison group.
Social Support: Treatment-group caregivers experienced significantly higher levels of social support than those in the comparison group.
Access to Services: Caregivers in the treatment group showed a greater increase in the number of services accessed between baseline and follow-up compared with the comparison group.
Referrals: The mean number of referrals for treatment-group caregivers increased 124%, while referrals for the comparison group decreased by 21%.

Additional information—including the Kinnections Summary Outcome Sheet and the Kinnections Final Report—can be found on this website page.

Kinnections Kinship Navigator Program Summary Outcomes (June 2022 – January 2025) and Final Report (November 2025)

Child Trends, with Wayfinder Family Services, conducted a study to learn more about experiences with kinship caregiving.

This website was supported by Grant Number 90CF0055 from the ACF/ACYF/CB – Central Program Office within the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Neither the Administration for Children and Families nor any of its components operated, controlled, were responsible for, or necessarily endorsed this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed were those of the author(s) and did not necessarily reflect the views of the Administration for Children and Families and the ACF/ACYF/CB – Central Program Office.

Aaronique is living proof that children placed in kinship care with extended family members or close family friends thrive in stable, permanent homes with loving guardians. When she was 5 years old, child welfare workers removed Aaronique from the care of her biological mother who suffered from substance addiction. The little girl went directly into kinship…

Program Areas

Kinnections: A Kinship Support & Navigation Program

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