Kinship Care Navigator
Where to start when a child moves in with you: the arrangements that exist, what each one lets you do, and the benefits you can ask for by name.
Read the guideMFGP Hub · Guides for Caregivers
Guides for kinship caregivers and guardians.
You took a child in and the system handed you paperwork instead of help. These guides walk through school enrollment, benefits, visits, phone costs, and the hardest conversations — in plain language, with nothing to fill out first.
Anyé's journey required her to be brave and vocal. Not everyone can be, and no one should have to be. Some people will never want to tell their story, and they deserve help anyway. You should not have to hand over your circumstances to get support.
Start with these
Caregiver Authorization Affidavit
How an affidavit lets you enroll a child in school and consent to routine care without going to court, including the California Family Code details.
Read the guideFind Your Kinship Navigator
Many states fund a kinship navigator that will sit with you and work the paperwork. This shows how to find yours and what to ask for.
Read the guidePreparing for a Prison Visit
Getting approved, planning the trip, and preparing a child for what the room will feel like — before, during, and after the visit.
Read the guideDress Code & What to Bring
The clothing and ID rules that turn families away at the door, and the short list of what you can actually bring inside.
Read the guideMoney, Calls & Staying in Touch
Calls, mail, video visits, and money transfers cost more than people expect. This helps you keep a steady connection on a real budget.
Read the guideTelling a Child the Truth
Age-by-age language for the conversation, what to do with the questions you cannot answer, and how to handle school and other adults.
Read the guideCare for yourself too
The Family Blueprint holds self-paced lessons on caregiver wellness, co-parenting and communication, legal literacy, and educational pathways — organized by audience and age so you can take one small step at a time.
Have a question we did not answer?
Reach out and we will point you to a real resource, not a generic list. If you want something to keep on the shelf, the free family guide covers locating someone inside, first visits and calls, and supporting children through it.
Other guides that may help
Scholarships & Education Support
Where students impacted by incarceration and foster care can find scholarships, how eligibility usually works, an application timeline, and how to write about lived experience safely.
Read →Juvenile Record Expungement
What juvenile expungement and record sealing do, who typically qualifies, the general steps, and where justice-impacted youth and families can get free legal help.
Read →Finding an Incarcerated Loved One
Step-by-step help locating an incarcerated family member: federal, state, and county searches, what information you need first, why searches come back empty, and what to do next.
Read →