15 Feb Understanding Kinship Care Program Feb 22, 2017

The Youth Opportunity Center (YOC) is one of several community partners sponsoring the program Understanding Kinship Care: Supporting Youth & Families at the upcoming Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) Cafe on February 22, 2017 in Muncie, Indiana.

Kinship care describes children living with extended family and close friends. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation National KIDS COUNT® Data Center, 27% of children who are in the foster care system will be cared for by kinship parents. In Indiana, approximately 31% of children in foster care are parented by kin.

“A large number of the kids the YOC serves are being raised by next of kin, like grandparents, aunts and cousins,” said Lanika Marshall, YOC training coordinator and IYI representative. “This program will provide youth workers, counselors and caregivers the tools and resources to raise next of kin who may be several generations younger than the kinship parent.”

For more information and to register for the program Understanding Kinship Care: Supporting Youth & Families, go to https://www.iyi.org/iyi-near-me/youth-worker-cafes/youth-worker-cafe-delaware-county-4 or contact Debbie Jones, IYI Youthworker at djones@iyi.org

For information on the YOC’s programs and services contact Carol Ammon, customer relations director, 765-289-5437, ext. 3333, cammon@yocinc.org.