Call for Exemplary Kinship/Grandfamilies Practices
Deadline to apply is Tuesday, April 22, 2025
One of the goals of the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: a National Technical Assistance Center at Generations United is to recognize and promote exemplary kinship programs, policies, and practices. We encourage states, territories, counties, and tribal agencies and community-based organizations to replicate these programs, policies, and practices in their own communities.
In 2023-2024, the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network (Network) staff, partners, and subject matter experts reviewed and designated multiple kinship/grandfamilies programs as exemplary. Learn more about those programs here.
This new request for applications welcomes the submission of practices that have anecdotal or empirical evidence of success. Practices may be kin-specific or more general and implemented in a way that specifically helps kinship/grandfamilies. A practice may be accompanied by a policy. Examples include:
- Utilizing tools developed with and for kinship families, such as videos, resource guides, or charts, that clearly explain concepts like legal options and income supports and how to apply for benefits.
- Incorporating cultural practices into service delivery.
- Braiding funding sources so that younger relative caregivers can participate in services aimed at older Americans.
- Improving access to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) child-only grants, additional public benefits, school enrollment, or other community services, particularly for those kinship families outside of foster care.
- Specialized/ongoing staff trainings that result in successful delivery of services to families and workforce retention.
- Working across systems to improve services for kinship families.
Practices within and across the critical systems serving kinship/grandfamilies will be selected, as will those related to kinship navigation and other community-based services. The state, territorial, county, and tribal agencies and community-based systems of focus are:
- Aging/Elders/Seniors
- Child Welfare
- Disability
- Education
- Housing
- Medicaid and Medicare
- Nutrition
- TANF
Access the application here. Deadline to apply is Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
Selection Process
The Network will have a multi-step review process to determine designation as an exemplary kinship/grandfamilies practice. Throughout that process, Network staff members will work collaboratively with applicants. The identification and selection process includes the following steps:
1. State, territorial, county, and tribal agencies and community-based organizations will submit their applications by April 22, 2025. Network staff members will review the application and gather additional information as needed. Criteria for review include:
- Demonstrated success in helping kinship families
- Service population (kin caregivers, birth parents of kinship youth, and/or kinship youth) is engaged in the development and implementation of the practice
- Community needs are addressed and cultural values of those served are incorporated in service delivery
- Partner engagement and cross-system collaboration
- Continuous quality improvement practices
- Sustainability
2. For each submission that is selected to move forward, the Network will schedule a virtual 60-minute group interview with agency or organization staff who implement the practice and, if applicable, the related policy. The Network will also schedule a separate 60- to 90-minute group interview with kin caregivers whom the agency or organization identifies as having been impacted by the practice.
3. Based on interview results, the Network team, comprised of staff, subject matter experts, and partners, will make a final decision about whether to designate the practice as Exemplary. Network staff will notify applicants of their status.
4. Practices that are designated as Exemplary will be awarded a seal and a certificate, announced publicly, and recognized nationally on the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network website. Practices with an accompanying policy will be recognized for both achievements in their certificate and in the public announcement and national recognition.
5. The Network team will create a practical, written resource about each exemplary practice and, if applicable, policy, to facilitate replication by other jurisdictions and organizations. These resources will be featured on the Network website.
You may preview the application here. Please submit your application online. Applications are due by Tuesday, April 22, 2025. If you have any questions, please contact Shalah Bottoms, Technical Assistance Specialist, at sbottoms@gu.org.
The Network is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $9,950,000 with 95 percentage funded by ACL/HHS and $523,684 and 5 percentage funded by non-government sources. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS or the U.S. Government.
The Network is a project of Generations United.