Florida Kinship Center
Florida Kinship Center is “the full time care and nurturance of a child by a relative
caregiver other than the biological parent with the intent to safely maintain and
strengthen the family unit” (Florida Kinship Center, 2002). The Florida Kinship
Center, located within the School of Social Work in Tampa, has developed relationships
throughout Florida to help evaluate the magnitude of the issues involved at all
levels of the kinship caregiving experience. The Center develops, maintains and
strengthens a network of kinship support groups. It also facilitates the Florida
Kinship Advisory Board; researches and develops techniques for working with kinship
care families; serves as a statewide information clearinghouse; and provides training
for agencies, universities, and kinship caregivers.