KinCarolina Offers Support for Kinship Caregivers in the Midlands

KinCarolina is a six-month, comprehensive support program for kinship caregivers raising children with disabilities or special healthcare needs and residing in the Midlands region of South Carolina.

Being a kinship caregiver can be rewarding, but also a lot to navigate. So can raising a child with a disability or special health care needs. For those doing both, their well-being has probably been put on the back burner so that their children have what they need.

"KinCarolina believes caregivers have to take care of themselves first before caring for others," Amanda Klein-Cox Project Manager KinCarolina said. "But to do that, they need support."

To ensure KinCarolina works for caregivers, the team will also study the effects of the program on caregiver participants. Caregivers who are eligible to enroll and decide to participate will be randomly assigned to join one of two groups:

• The KinCarolina program at Kindred Hearts, or
• personalized referrals to services in the community.

Kinship caregivers in both groups will be asked to complete surveys before and after their participation in the program. Both groups will receive financial support during the six-month intervention.

Caregivers enrolled in the KinCarolina intervention will:

• Be paired with trained peer liaisons for individual guidance;
• Participate in peer support groups for social-emotional support;
• Receive knowledge and tools for their caregiving role through monthly trainings;
• Engage in family activities to strengthen relationships with the children in their care; and
• Receive financial support during the six-month program.

The program is housed at Kindred Hearts of South Carolina and is offered almost entirely virtually, to reach caregivers from all counties of the Midlands. The eligible counties for the KinCarolina program are Aiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, Saluda, Sumter, and York Counties.

For more information about the program, visit Home - KinCarolina, or scan the QR code below.

KinCarolina offers peer support, mentorship and resources for families serving as caregivers for children with disabilities.Photo byKinCarolina