Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina Launches Kinship Care Initiative
September 2, 2014
COLUMBIA, SC – The Sisters of Charity Foundation is pleased to announce the start of a Kinship Care Initiative in South Carolina. Currently, over 50,000 children are in public and private kinship care within the state. The Initiative will support the growing number of relatives raising a loved one’s child that are not a part of the state’s foster care system. The launch of the Initiative also includes the release of a Research Brief to illustrate the challenges that kinship families face. Included in the brief are recommendations for South Carolina to improve services to these families. Research has shown that kinship care is a better alternative than placing youth in foster care and yields higher rates of permanency. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2012 annual report, extended family members and close family friends care for more than 2.7 million children in the United States, an increase of 18 percent over the past decade.
The Research Brief, authored by Foundation Program Manager Tamara Peterson, addresses a broad range of issues and challenges that impact the well-being of these families.
“We need more people involved to support kinship caregivers. If other people saw our faces and heard our struggles, maybe then they would help us keep our families together,” said one Grandmother in the Helping and Lending Outreach Services (HALOS) program.
The Foundation will host a Kinship Care Summit on September 10th in Columbia as part of the Initiative’s launch. The Summit will feature a panel of industry leaders and participation by kinship care stakeholders from throughout the state and beyond. Representatives from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Duke Endowment will also be part of the discussion. The purpose of the Summit is to bring together community stakeholders, identify key issues and, develop strategies for better serving kinship families across South Carolina.
The Initiative is dedicated to enhancing individual and family well-being. This will be accomplished through the development of a Kinship Care Advisory Council, grant making, and strategic partnerships with organizations that are committed to improving outcomes for kinship families. The Foundation will also address public policy issues that affect the kinship care population. The goal is to increase permanency, stability and livelihood of kinship families so that children in our state live in safe, loving homes. “The Foundation is pleased to announce this Initiative in response to the growing need of kinship care providers across the state of South Carolina.” Tom Keith, President, Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina.
In 2015, through the Kinship Care Initiative, the Foundation will award multiple grants and significant dollars to support programs and services for South Carolina’s kinship care providers and the children that are being served.
About the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina
The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, established in 1996, is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System. The Foundation is committed to addressing the needs of the poor and underserved in all 46 South Carolina counties, and strategically uses resources to reduce poverty through action, advocacy and leadership.
