Advisors: Karen Blaisure, Andrea Smith (TLES), Richard Zinser
Room 3326 Kohrman Hall

This graduate certificate program provides a strong framework for working with kinship care families, which involve the care of children by family members other than the child’s biological parent(s). This care is often provided by grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings or other family members due to a variety of circumstances. The program prepares human services professionals with the understanding and skills to work effectively with these families. The program emphasizes strengths and challenges of kinship care families, intersections between these families and educational and human care systems, economic realities, and developing effective programming.

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the requirements of the Graduate college, all applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree, provide a statement outlining one’s background, human service experiences with families, interest in kinship care families, and career goals (1-2 pages). Admission decisions will be made by the department’s faculty, following a review of the applicant’s admission materials.