Kinship Care

Be the change you wish to see in the world.

- Gandhi

The Bid Spec for Mental Health Services for the new Mental Health Assessment Center is now available! See the Spec!

A PDF about the Racine County Mental Health System is available for review here.

The 2010 Bid Specificationswill be available beginning Monday, August 17, 2009 here.

The 2010 budget planning process has started. The Budget Planning paper can be found here.

Racine County has signed a contract to make prescription drug discount cards available, free of charge, under a program sponsored by the National Association of Counties (NACo). The program offers average savings of 20 percent off the retail price of commonly prescribed drugs. Additional information, including information about participating pharmacies, is available toll-free at 877-321-2652 or at www.caremark.com/naco. Click hereto find a list of places where you can get the discount cards.

Caring, compassionate adults who like kids needed to become Foster Parents. If providing care and assistance to a disabled adult interests you, become an Adult Family Care provider.

Voluntary guardians needed to work with disabled adults.

Get involved with your community! Find out how to be a foster parent, an adult family care provider, a certified child care provider, a mentor or a volunteer.

The results of a survey on truancy, "Truancy - In Their Own Words", is available. This voluntary survey was completed by youth that have had contact with Human Services during past several months. It provides particular insight into how youth perceive school and truancy.

As a result of the Wisconsin Works (W-2) Welfare Reform in 1997, there has been a dramatic change in the manner in which payments are made to individuals who are caring for minor children.

In order to qualify for the Kinship Care Program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

Applicant must have a relationship to the child as defined in s.48.57(3m)2.
All persons in the home must pass a criminal background check.
The child(ren) is/are living with the applicant because there is a need to protect them from possible abuse or neglect by a parent.
Applicant must cooperate with the Kinship Program and with all program requirements.

In order to ensure fairness and consistency in the Kinship Program, it is occasionally necessary to establish a Waiting List. When the combination of current and prospective Kinship Care placements equals the maximum caseload capacity, all applicants will be informed of the Waiting List possibility. Applications will be opened on a first-come, first-served basis, depending upon the date and time received by this agency. However, all court-ordered Kinship Care cases will be served upon receipt of the application and will not be placed on the Waiting List.

If you would like additional information about the Kinship Care Program, contact John Grycowski at (262) 638-6497.

If you wish to apply for Kinship Care, please contact:

Racine County Human Services Department
1717 Taylor Avenue
Racine, WI 53403
(262) 638-6321
(800) 242-4202

or email

IandA@goRacine.org

or visit