Did you suddenly become responsible for a relative's child?

If you only do one thing today

Call 211. It is free, it covers your county, and it is the fastest route to benefits, food, housing and legal help.

If a child in your family has just come to live with you — a grandchild, a niece or nephew, the child of a friend who is family in all but name — you are not in the wrong place, and you are not alone. About 1,312 Kentucky children, about 15% of all children in state care, are living with relatives or close family friends right now.

You may be eligible for financial support

Kentucky's Kinship Support programs exist for exactly this situation. The state's own guidance says these payments average about $750 a month per child. That is an average and not a promise, and eligibility depends on your circumstances — but it is worth asking about on day one rather than month six.

Source: Kentucky Kinship Support — Cabinet for Health and Family Services

You may not need to become a licensed foster parent

Relatives and fictive kin are treated differently from general foster applicants. If you do go through approval, up to 12 of the 15 to 18 pre-service training hours can be waived for relatives and close family friends.

The fastest thing you can do today is call

Kentucky 211 connects you to benefits, food, housing and legal help in your county, and it is free. Dial 211, or use the link below. If you already have a caseworker, ask them specifically about kinship support — the phrase matters.

The 1,312 figure is from Kentucky DCBS, Statewide Foster Care FACTS, as of 2026-07-05. We are not the state and we cannot approve anything — for anything official, start with Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.