The process for relatives to take custody of a child can be a whirlwind, said Norma Hatfield, president of Kinship Families Coalition of Kentucky. A Child Protective Services agent informs a grandparent (or other relative) that their grandchild has to be removed from their living situation.
They are given options. They can relinquish the child to the foster care system. They can take over temporary guardianship themselves. Or, as of 2019, they can register to become a “child-specific foster home,” meaning they enter the foster care system themselves and receive the same benefits as regular foster homes. But once you make that decision, it’s nearly impossible to undo.
“This is not the best time to make a life-altering, permanent decision,” Hatfield said.
If, for whatever reason, the grandparent checks the wrong box, that decision is set in stone. The grandparent cannot make the decision to change over from a guardianship to a child-specific foster home and receive all of the support that comes with it.