The KY-KINS Peer Support Program is an innovative program designed to provide individualized, virtual, one-on-one Peer Support services to caregivers who are caring for relative or fictive kin children. Through this program, caregivers who register to participate will be matched with a Peer Supporter who has “lived experience” as a Relative or Fictive Kin provider themselves-meaning that they have personally cared for a relative child or fictive kin child for at least 1.5 years and have learned information essential in caring for a kinship family. As employees of the University of Kentucky, these same Peer Supporters have had extensive training to broaden their knowledge to help them further understand concepts important to family relationships and caring for Kinship children. A Peer Supporter can be very helpful in guiding kinship caregivers to find state and local resources, identify solutions to challenging problems, and be a good listening ear. While Peer Supporters are not trained counselors or therapists, they can offer caregivers support and encouragement as they care for their relative children.
The KIN VIP Support Group program is an innovative program designed to bring kinship caregivers together through a virtual Support Group meeting with many other group members from across the state of Kentucky. These meetings, held through Zoom, will bring together caregivers from around the state to share ideas, resources, challenges, and successes. Facilitated by Support Group leaders who have experience with Relative or Fictive Kin care, this program is designed to bring the supportive, educational, holistic atmosphere of a Support Group into a space that allows members to participate from the comfortability of their home.
Please see our online flier for Kinship Programs.