Important Questions to Ask in a Family Caregiver Discussion
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2006-04-25 15:14:37.384040-04:00
- Do you anticipate caring permanently for the children until they reach 18 years of age (or longer if the children remain in school or have disabilities)?
- Will you be able to care for the children permanently, given your age and the ages of the children and other special needs that they may have?
- Have you had trouble enrolling the children in school, obtaining health care for the children, or accessing other benefits for the children because you don't have legal custody?
- Are you worried that the child's parent(s) will take the child back unexpectedly or inappropriately?
- How long have the children lived with you?
- How strong is the relationship between you and the child?
- What is the likelihood that the child's parent(s) will be able to resume custody?
- What kind of changes in family relationships will be caused by court involvement?
- What kinds of emotional, social, and financial supports are available to the kinship family now? How would legal custody help enhance the supports available?
Source: the Resource Pages of the Children's Defense Fund's Kinship Care Resource Kit.
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