Governor Ricketts proclaims September is Kinship Care Awareness Month

Caption: Lt Governor Mike Foley Foley presents Kinship Care Awareness Month Proclamation to speaker Brooke Bouck, Kinship Navigation supervisor for NCHS.

OMAHA, Neb. (September 6, 2022) - Governor Pete Ricketts issued a proclamation in honor of kinship caregivers in a signing ceremony on September 6th. The month is a time to celebrate the important contribution that kin and relatives play in supporting and raising children. 

Representatives from NCHS, Lutheran Family Services (LFS) and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS) participated in a signing ceremony with Lieutenant Governor Foley in recognition of National Kinship Care Month. Attendees included NCHS Kinship Navigation staff members in addition to kinship caregivers from the NCHS Raising Your Grandchildren classes. 

Every day, children in the state and across the country are cared for by relatives and close family friends. September is a nationally recognized month to raise awareness for Kinship Care. In Nebraska, 15,000 children are being raised in kinship care by grandparents, aunts and uncles, other relatives, and trusted family friends when parents are unavailable. Nearly 30% of children in foster care in Nebraska are receiving care from a relative or kin caregiver. Kinship care is safe and supports a child’s well-being. Studies show that kinship care minimizes trauma, improves well-being, increases permanency, improves behavioral and mental health outcomes, promotes sibling and other relative connections, and preserves the identity of children and youth.

“Kin caregivers play an essential role in providing stability and continuity to the children in the family,” NCHS Kinship Navigation Supervisor Brooke Bouck said. 

Through this proclamation, Nebraska recognizes the important role kin caregivers play in supporting the best interests of children. Going above and beyond expectations to help provide the best care possible, many caregivers face hurdles when adjusting to their “new normal.” Service partners like NCHS, LFS, and NDHHS offer support to kin and relative families raising children under unexpected circumstances. Through its Kinship Navigation and Foster Care programs, NCHS connects caregivers to community support, educational resources, and emotional, legal and financial support within communities across Nebraska. 

“This September, we recognize and thank the many relative and kin caregivers of children,” Bouck said. 

Caption: Kinship Care Awareness Month proclamation