Kinship Care: the Thread that Keeps Children Safely Connected to Family


When a child can no longer safely remain at home with their parents, Franklin County Children Services first looks to kinship care. Caseworkers seek out grandparents, relatives, or trusted family friends who already know the child to help them maintain important relationships and connections during a time of major transition and trauma. 

For caregiver Elmira Rash-Davis, stepping up for her family has been natural. She has cared for grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and other young relatives whenever help was needed, including times when safety or neglect concerns brought FCCS into the picture.

She knows the importance of offering a familiar face and a stable routine during those moments of uncertainty: “Every Sunday, bookbags are lined up by the door… Breakfast starts at 5:45 a.m.… Clothes are set out for the week, homework is reviewed… and bikes are tucked away before bedtime.” 

Organization keeps the household moving, Ms. Rash-Davis shared, but she believes it also offers the children in her care something deeper. For kids entering a new household, predictability can provide reassurance. 

“You have to be organized,” she said. “Our day goes on a schedule.” 

September is National Kinship Month, recognizing the impactful role that grandparents, aunts and uncles, relatives and other trusted family friends can have when they care for children who come into the child welfare system and help maintain family connections and traditions. 

FCCS caseworker Danielle Stokes sees this effect often in her work with kinship families. 

“Placement in a kinship setting provides the least amount of trauma and allows a child to have a stronger sense of belonging.” She added that family connections and shared histories help children feel grounded, even when their circumstances change. 

Ms. Stokes also works closely with caregivers as they grow into new responsibilities. “I try and provide support by helping them navigate the system,” she said. “I like to acknowledge them and help find resolutions to whatever issue they are encountering.” 

In Franklin County, nearly one third of children served by FCCS are placed with kinship caregivers. For those children, kinship care provides a familiar face, a family connection, and someone who already knows their story.  

After decades of caring for relatives, Ms. Rash-Davis has learned that providing patience also matters. 

“It takes time. It really takes patience,” she said. She encourages caregivers to remember that children come with their own feelings and experiences and may need time and space to feel comfortable in their new surroundings. 

For her own life, Ms. Rash-Davis once imagined a retirement filled with travel. Instead, she has found purpose in continuing to step in whenever children in her family need her. Her commitment remains steady, just like the routines she keeps. 

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