Oxford CAS Honours Kinship and Alternate Care Awareness Week

Thursday, 17 September 2026 06:22

Photo provided by Children's Aid Society of Oxford County

A kinship family is when a relative, friend or a local community member steps up to take care of a child or youth.

OXFORD - The Oxford County Children's Aid Society (Oxford CAS) is shining a light on kinship families in our community.

Tracy Dobbie, the Manager of Resources and Kinship Services, explains what a kinship family is and how it's different from a foster family.

"Kinship caregivers are often family members, community members, friends, or someone else in the child or youth's social network or community that offer to provide a care and a safe home for them when they are not able to stay with their own families."

A kinship family allows the child/youth to maintain the relationships in their lives by staying in their same school and community. Dobbie says it helps them do better in terms of their education, development and emotional wellbeing.

Kinship and Alternate Care Awareness Week officially kicked off on Monday and it will wrap up tomorrow.

Executive Director Tina Diamond says we have we have 45 kinship families caring for 53 children and youth in our community.

"Their care for the children and youth that are important to them really does change the lives of these children and youth. They make our community stronger, so this year we are really focusing internally on making sure they are aware of how important they are to our community."

With that being said, Diamond is very grateful for all of the foster families in Oxford County as well.

"They are a completely different role in the service we provide our community because they take in children and youth that they don't know. They give them a chance without having a whole lot of information and still are able to provide that same love, compassion, care and stability for children and youth in our community. It is a little different when it comes to kinship families because that is someone the child or youth has known for a long period of time. Both of these families are so important and make the community and work we do here so much stronger."

You can find more information about the Children's Aid Society of Oxford County online here.