Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
Q&A
Challenges faced by older adult kinship caregivers in the foster care system
0:58:53
ยท
141 sec
The Deputy Commissioner from NYC Children's Services discusses the challenges faced by older adult kinship caregivers in the foster care system, highlighting issues common to all caregivers and some specific to older adults.
- Many challenges are faced by all caregivers, regardless of age, but some may be more difficult for older adults
- Children in foster care often have experienced trauma, requiring specialized care and training for caregivers
- Nearly half of the young people in foster care are teenagers up to 21 years old, presenting unique challenges
- Foster children typically have more appointments than other children, including visits with biological parents and siblings
- NYC Children's Services tracks older adult kinship caregivers, with 2,082 currently in the system
- The agency has created a new training program focused on working with children who have experienced trauma
Crystal Hudson
0:58:53
Okay.
0:58:58
Okay.
0:59:00
I'm gonna go to you, deputy commissioner, for a few a few questions.
0:59:04
So older adults in foster care, does your agency track older adult kinship caregivers?
UNKNOWN
0:59:12
Yes.
0:59:13
That's the number hundred and out of 2,082.
Crystal Hudson
0:59:18
Okay.
0:59:18
Great.
0:59:20
And can you describe the challenges that older adult kinship caregivers face in the foster system?
UNKNOWN
0:59:27
Yeah.
0:59:27
So I think a lot of the challenges would be faced by know, regardless of age, although obviously some things are more challenging.
0:59:38
But many of the children and youth who are in foster care, by their very nature of being in foster care, have experienced trauma, which is why we've done a lot of work and created a new training program specifically focused on working with children with trauma.
0:59:55
Also about half, roughly, I have to get you the exact number, but close to half of the young people in foster care are teenagers and up to 21.
1:00:04
And so for reasons that teenagers are often challenging.
1:00:11
And so I think a lot of the challenges are really just the challenges people face raising children and particularly young people in foster care.
1:00:22
The one thing I'll add that I think is important is that oftentimes children in foster care have more appointments than the typical child because a really important part of being in foster care is connecting with parents, their parents, and so they'll have visits or sibling visits.
1:00:41
When kids are in kinship care, oftentimes the kinship parent will be able to arrange those visits because it could be more of like at their home as a family versus at a foster care agency if it doesn't need to be supervised.
1:00:56
But there are additional appointments for young people in foster care.
Crystal Hudson
1:01:00
Okay.
1:01:01
And do you know how often NYC children makes referrals for older adults kinship caregivers and what they are?
1:01:10
I'd have to double check, but
UNKNOWN
1:01:11
I don't think we're specifically tracking those types of referrals.
1:01:15
Okay.