Kinship caregivers seeking resources to support children can get questions answered through Ohio Legal Help's new tool.

Kinship caregivers seeking resources to support children can get questions answered through Ohio Legal Help's new tool.

A new online tool is available to support Ohioans caring for children of relatives and family friends.

Ohio Legal Help, with funding from a Supreme Court of Ohio federal Court Improvement Grant, has developed an interactive section of its website to help kinship caregivers navigate complex topics that can impact displaced children and their caretakers. Topics include understanding the court process, enrolling children in school, getting medical care, and other benefits. The online tool also offers an interactive, step-by-step process to walk caregivers through developing their own action plan, which includes benefits and resources available to the child.

“Having this type of information is crucial to so many families across Ohio,” said David Edelblute, the Children and Families Section manager for the Supreme Court. “This centralized collection of resources for kinship caregivers is the only one like it in Ohio.”

A study by the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services found that placing kids with extended family members and close family friends leads to more positive outcomes for children. Placement with a relative minimizes trauma, provides more stability for children at home and school, and keeps families more intact. More than 227,000 juveniles in the state live with relatives other than their parents, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Approximately 185,000 of those children are with their grandparents.

The need for kinship care has grown over the last decade due to the opioid epidemic with more parents unable to care for their children. It has increased the time juveniles spend in the child welfare system, according to the Public Children Services Association of Ohio.

Caregivers caught in the middle of such issues can be overwhelmed by navigating the legal and foster care systems. That’s why Ohio Legal Help is working to connect with families and show them their options and available assistance, to better take care of their loved ones.

“These cases are so complex, so we want to do everything we can to help caregivers get accurate legal information, helpful resources, and the tools they need to stabilize the child’s – and their own – situation,” said Susan Choe, executive director of Ohio Legal Help.