TULSA, Okla. — A new program launching in August hopes to make it easier for relatives who unexpectedly take in children by connecting them with financial assistance and community resources.
Circle of Care is one of a handful of Oklahoma nonprofits selected by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services to launch the new Kinship Navigation program. The initiative will serve families in several counties, including Muskogee, Okmulgee, and Tulsa.
For Matt Baccus, the program was personal. He and his family stepped in to care for a relative’s children, but he said they quickly found themselves navigating an unfamiliar system.
“It’s kind of like a whirlwind, and it can be overwhelming at times,” Baccus said.
Baccus said saying yes to caring for a child was an easy decision, but figuring out what came next was not.
“It was an easy yes for us, but that doesn’t mean that the process was easy,” Baccus said.
The goal of Kinship Navigation is to keep more children out of the foster care system by helping them remain with grandparents, aunts, uncles and other relatives. Families enrolled in the program will be paired with a kinship navigator who can connect them with financial assistance and local resources such as food, furniture and clothing.
Circle of Care said many relatives take on the responsibility of caring for a child with little notice, leaving them to quickly find clothing, household items and other essentials. The nonprofit said the new program is designed to help families navigate those challenges while providing children with a stable home environment.
“Our goal is to help walk alongside and help those families provide the very, very best that they can for the kids in their care,” Baccus said.
The Kinship Navigation program is scheduled to launch in August. Circle of Care is also hiring kinship navigators to help support families across the region.
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Clifton Haskin is your Muskogee reporter.
Is there something you think he should know about or look into?
You can email him at clifton.haskin@kjrh.com.
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