TITLE
Title
PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 2024 AS KINSHIP CARE MONTH IN GUILFORD COUNTY
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SPONSOR
Sponsor
Commissioner Mary Beth Murphy
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PROCLAMATION
Proclamation
WHEREAS, Guilford County's child welfare program strives to keep children in their homes with their families, whenever possible, by providing services and resources; and
WHEREAS, Guilford County's child welfare social workers help parents build protective factors, such as parental resilience, knowledge of parenting and social connections to help ensure the safety of their children while they are living at home; and
WHEREAS, when children cannot remain safely with their parents, placement with kin is preferred over placement in foster care with non-relatives. Placement with kin, or kinship care, may provide permanency for children and helps them maintain family connections; and
WHEREAS, there are many benefits to placing children in kinship care, including minimizing trauma, preserving cultural identity, increasing placement stability, improving behavioral outcomes and promoting sibling ties; and
WHEREAS Guilford County Health & Human Services, the courts, parent attorneys, Guardian ad Litem, and other public and private providers work diligently to ensure children can be placed with kin when out-of-home placements are necessary; and
WHEREAS, Guilford County Department of Social Services (DSS) has 615 children in foster care and 78 children are in kinship homes; and
WHEREAS, kinship caregivers open their hearts to ensure children have the opportunity to share connections and ties to their family, culture and community and share in a sense of security in being with family.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Guilford County Board of Commissioners do hereby proclaim September 2024 as "Kinship Care Month" in Guilford County and commend its observance to all our residents.
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REQUESTED ACTION
Requested Action
Recognize September 2024 as Kinship Care Month in Guilford County.
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