New Jersey Kinship Care Resources and Support Services for Relative Caregivers
The Resource Landscape for NJ Kinship Caregivers
New Jersey maintains one of the more developed kinship support networks in the country, but the resources are scattered across state agencies, legal aid organizations, and community nonprofits. Most caregivers discover them one at a time, often months into the arrangement, usually after hitting a wall at a school registration desk or a doctor's office.
Here is a consolidated guide to the major programs and services, what each one actually does, and how to access them.
NJ DCF Kinship Navigator Program
The Kinship Navigator Program is operated through the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) and is the state's primary support system for relative caregivers. It provides wraparound assistance including financial aid for emergency needs (clothing, school supplies, utility bills), help navigating state benefits, and referrals to legal, medical, and educational services.
How to access it:
- Call NJ 211 (dial 2-1-1) or 1-877-816-3211
- Regional operators connect you to the Kinship Navigator serving your county
Regional coverage:
- Northern counties (Bergen, Hudson, Passaic, and surrounding areas): Care Plus NJ
- Southern counties (Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and surrounding areas): Family Service Association
- Other counties are served by additional contracted providers — NJ 211 routes you to the correct one
The Navigator does not draft legal documents or represent you in court. Their role is connecting you to services, helping with benefit applications, and providing emergency financial support. Intake can take days to weeks depending on caseload, so call early — do not wait until you have an emergency.
Legal Services of New Jersey (LSNJLAW)
LSNJLAW is the statewide legal aid organization for low-income New Jersey residents. For kinship caregivers, they provide:
- Free legal advice on school enrollment disputes, medical consent issues, and caregiver rights
- Representation in Kinship Legal Guardianship filings and custody matters
- Help with benefit denials, housing issues, and other legal problems connected to caregiving
Contact: 1-888-576-5529 (statewide hotline). LSNJLAW also operates an online legal information portal at www.lsnjlaw.org with articles on kinship care rights in New Jersey.
Eligibility: Income-based, and eligibility limits can depend on the legal issue. Call LSNJLAW to confirm the current income limits and whether it can assist with your matter; it can also advise about other legal aid options.
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KinKonnect / KLG Resource Clearing House
KinKonnect (1-877-554-5463) is a specialized information clearinghouse for kinship families in New Jersey. It focuses specifically on Kinship Legal Guardianship resources, providing information about the KLG process, caregiver rights, and available subsidies.
KinKonnect is not a legal aid office — they provide information and referrals, not representation. But if you are considering filing for KLG and want to understand the process before committing to a court filing, they are a useful starting point.
NJ 211
NJ 211 is the state's general social services hotline. For kinship caregivers, it serves as the front door to nearly every program listed here. Dial 2-1-1 from any phone in New Jersey and tell the operator you are a relative caring for a child. They can connect you to:
- Kinship Navigator Program
- TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and child-only cash assistance
- NJ FamilyCare / Medicaid for the child
- Food assistance (SNAP)
- Housing assistance
- Utility assistance programs
PerformCare (Children's System of Care)
If the child in your care is experiencing behavioral health, emotional, or substance use issues, PerformCare is the single statewide access point for youth mental health services in New Jersey. You do not need a court order, legal custody, or a DCP&P case to initiate an intake.
Contact: 1-877-652-7624 (24/7/365)
PerformCare can dispatch Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) to your home within one hour during a crisis. For non-crisis behavioral health needs, they coordinate outpatient referrals and care management. More detail on how this works for kinship caregivers is in our PerformCare guide for kinship families.
AARP and Generations United
Both organizations maintain national kinship care resources with New Jersey-specific fact sheets. AARP's GrandFacts program publishes state-by-state legal summaries for grandparents raising grandchildren. Generations United advocates for kinship-supportive policies and publishes the annual State of Grandfamilies report.
These are useful for understanding the policy landscape, but they do not provide direct services or legal representation.
How These Resources Work Together
The practical sequence for most kinship caregivers in New Jersey looks like this:
- Immediate need (school enrollment, doctor visit): Use non-court documents — a POA or caregiver affidavit — to handle the immediate administrative barrier
- Within the first month: Call NJ 211 to connect with the Kinship Navigator for financial support and benefit enrollment
- If legal issues arise (school denies enrollment, parent contests arrangement, need for KLG): Contact LSNJLAW for free legal advice or representation
- For behavioral health needs: Call PerformCare directly
The New Jersey School and Medical Consent Guide organizes these resources alongside the consent documents you need for school and medical appointments — so you have both the paperwork and the support contacts in one place.
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