The University of South Florida School of Social Work

Supporting grandparents and other relatives raising children in Florida through research, training, support groups, a statewide clearinghouse, and direct service programs.

In response to the growing needs of over 231,000 children living in kinship care homes in Florida, and the many grandparents and other relatives who are providing the primary care for them, the University of South Florida School of Social Work established the Kinship Support Center.

This Center:

· develops, maintains, and strengthens support groups for kinship caregivers and their children living in the community;

· collaborates with the community through the establishment of a Kinship Care Advisory Committee and develops new, innovative services in the community to address the needs and concerns of the kinship care family;

· researches and develops techniques for working with children, kinship caregivers, biological parents, school systems, local and state service provider agencies, and the community;

· serves as a statewide clearinghouse of kinship care information obtained at local, state, and federal level of government for service providers and caregivers;

· provides training for service provider agencies, universities, and kinship caregivers themselves that provides leadership and direction for statewide efforts to address the growing needs of all kinship caregivers; and

· provides direct services to kinship caregivers throughout Florida by means of the Kinship Care Warmline, a statewide listening line for kinship caregivers who need emotional support and information and referral services, and provides direct services to children living in kinship care families through a school-based intervention pilot project.

Accomplishments of the USF Kinship Support Center

· In January, 2000, the Kinship Support Center received $100,000 from the Florida Legislature to work with Nova Southeastern University and Florida International University (FIU) to increase services to kinship caregivers in the state of Florida. USF's Kinship Support Center was the lead agency for this funding.

· The Kinship Support Center, in conjunction with Nova and FIU wrote ten curriculum modules to train services providers working with kinship caregivers in the state of Florida.

· The Kinship Support Center created a statewide Kinship Care Warmline in February, 2000. This Warmline is a statewide toll-free listening line for kinship caregivers who need emotional support as well as information and referral services

· In February, 2000, the Kinship Support Center published Kinship Care in Hillsborough County, with monies provided by the Children's Board of Hillsborough County. This study describes the results of focus groups conducted with kinship caregivers in Hillsborough County.

· In July 2000, the Kinship Support Center implemented an innovative school-based intervention program, entitled The Kinship Care Connection. This program provides children with supportive services, while bridging kinship caregivers with the school system through support groups, personal advocacy, and linkage to services and resources.

· The USF Kinship Support Center Team provides training throughout the Tampa Bay Community and the state. The Center maintains a statewide clearinghouse of kinship care information.

· Currently, the Center is supported by a donation from a private donor and continues to develop new, and innovative services and programs for the local community and the entire state of Florida.