Louisiana Kinship Navigator and DCFS-211: What They Can and Can't Do for You

When you're suddenly raising a grandchild or a relative's child in Louisiana, one of the first things you'll find online is the Kinship Navigator program run by the Department of Children and Family Services. It's a real resource — but it's important to understand what it actually does, so you don't spend weeks waiting for help that isn't coming from that direction.

What the Kinship Navigator Program Is

The Louisiana Kinship Navigator is an information and referral service maintained by DCFS. Its job is to connect kinship caregivers — grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and family friends raising someone else's child — with existing public programs and services.

You can reach it by dialing 2-1-1, texting KINSHIPLA to 898-211, emailing [email protected], or using the DCFS website.

What they provide:

• Program referrals — they can tell you about the Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP), FITAP, SNAP, Medicaid/LaCHIP, and other benefit programs the child may qualify for
• Legal overview information — downloadable guides explaining Provisional Custody by Mandate, the Non-Legal Custodian's Affidavit, and court-based custody options
• Legal aid referrals — contact information for Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, Acadiana Legal Service Corporation, and Legal Services of North Louisiana
• Support group connections — some parishes run kinship caregiver support groups through DCFS or community partners

What They Cannot Do

The Kinship Navigator is an informational clearinghouse. It does not:

• Draft or execute legal documents for you — they can explain what a Provisional Custody by Mandate is, but they won't fill out the form or arrange notarization
• Assign you a caseworker — if you're an informal kinship caregiver (no DCFS case), you don't get a dedicated caseworker. DCFS caseworkers are assigned to formal child welfare cases, not to private family arrangements
• Advocate on your behalf at schools or clinics — if a school refuses to enroll the child or a doctor refuses to see them, the Kinship Navigator can't intervene directly
• Provide legal advice — they can describe legal pathways in general terms, but they can't tell you which option is right for your specific situation
• Process benefit applications — they refer you to the right agency, but you still have to apply through that agency's own process

The GOEA Grandparent Resource Guide

The Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs (GOEA) publishes a separate resource guide specifically for grandparents. The most recent version (January 2026) covers legal overviews of grandparent visitation rights under Louisiana Civil Code Article 136, custody standards, Voluntary Transfer of Custody, and Provisional Custody by Mandate.

The GOEA guide is useful for understanding the legal landscape, but it has the same limitation as the Kinship Navigator: it explains options without providing execution tools. It won't help you fill out a form, prepare for a notary appointment, or handle a school registrar who doesn't recognize your paperwork.

Informal Kinship Care vs. Formal Foster Care

This distinction matters because it determines what DCFS can do for you.

Formal kinship care means DCFS placed the child with you through the child welfare system. You have a case, a caseworker, and access to foster care support services and monthly stipends.

Informal kinship care means the family arranged the placement privately — no DCFS involvement, no court order, no caseworker. Census estimates report that more than 67,000 Louisiana grandparents are actively responsible for meeting their grandchildren's daily needs. If this is you, DCFS's direct services are limited to the Kinship Navigator's information and referral role.

The Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP) is one notable exception — it provides monthly financial assistance to some informal kinship caregivers, but eligibility is limited and the application goes through DCFS.

Making the Most of 211

When you call 2-1-1, have specific questions ready:

• "I need to know if this child qualifies for KCSP or FITAP"
• "I need a legal aid referral for someone who handles kinship custody documents in [parish]"
• "I need to find a kinship support group in my area"

General questions like "what do I need to do?" will get you pointed to the same overview brochure that's available online. Specific questions get you specific referrals.

Filling the Gap

The Kinship Navigator points you toward the right programs, and legal aid can help if you qualify and can wait for intake. Between those two — the information and the attorney — is a gap: understanding which consent instrument fits your situation, actually filling it out, preparing for the notary appointment, assembling the documents the school and clinic will ask for, and knowing what to do when someone says no.

The Louisiana School & Medical Consent guide is built for that gap — it organizes the entire process from choosing the right legal instrument to handling institutional pushback, so you show up at school and the doctor's office ready.

See more Louisiana guides →