09/14/2026
You may not have heard the term "kinship care" before. But chances are, you know someone living it.
Kinship care is when a grandparent, aunt, uncle, older sibling, or close family friend steps in to care for a child who can't safely stay with their parents.
It happens fast. Often overnight. And most kinship caregivers never planned for it.
They say yes out of love, and then figure out the rest as they go.
September is Kinship Care Month. All month long we're celebrating the families who step up, sharing resources, and reminding kinship caregivers across Central Missouri: you don't have to do this alone.