For Relative Caregivers & Guardians

You stepped up when a child needed someone. Maybe it was a grandchild, a niece or nephew, a sibling's child. You took them in — not because the system asked you to, but because you were family and that's what family does.

Now you're navigating a legal system that wasn't designed with you in mind, trying to protect a child while also managing the relationship with the parent, the court, and sometimes multiple agencies at once.

M.O.M. is here to help you hold it together.

What Relative Caregivers Face

• Legal limbo: Caring for a child without formal guardianship or custody — which limits your ability to make medical, educational, and legal decisions
• Private guardianship complexity: Navigating private guardianship proceedings without an attorney or a caseworker assigned to help
• Managing parent contact: Determining when and how to support safe contact between the child and their parent — especially when that parent is working toward stability
• Financial strain: Absorbing the cost of caring for a child without the financial supports available to licensed foster families
• Court appearances: Attending hearings, responding to filings, and managing legal deadlines without legal representation
• Sibling separation: Caring for one child while siblings are placed elsewhere — and trying to maintain those relationships

How M.O.M. Supports Relative Caregivers

• Help navigating private guardianship and custody proceedings in plain language
• Transportation to court dates and agency meetings
• Document organization and Legal Binder support for guardianship cases
• Coordination with OCSE and courts (with written authorization)
• Support for facilitating safe, structured parent-child contact when appropriate and court-approved
• Connection to peer mentors who have navigated kinship caregiving
• Referrals to financial assistance, legal aid, and community resources

Supporting the Parent Too

In many kinship situations, the goal is not permanent separation — it is stabilization. M.O.M. can work with both the relative caregiver and the parent simultaneously, helping the parent build the stability needed to safely resume or expand their role while ensuring the child remains protected and supported in the interim.

If the parent in your child's life is trying to get back on their feet, M.O.M.'s Parental Restoration services may be relevant for them as well. Learn more about Parental Restoration.

What M.O.M. Cannot Do

• Provide legal representation or appear in court on your behalf
• Guarantee guardianship or custody outcomes
• Override court orders or agency decisions
• Provide emergency placement or crisis housing

Ready to Start?

Begin Intake →  |  Back to Get Help  |  Learn About Parental Restoration

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Mending Our Mistakes, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 39-4100221. Learn more at mendingourmistakes.org.