Kinship Care in North Carolina: Licensing Requirements and Rights for Relative Caregivers

Most kinship caregivers in North Carolina do not choose to become foster parents — the role finds them. A grandparent gets a call from DSS. An aunt takes in a niece after an emergency removal. A family friend steps in when no relative is immediately available. Within 48 hours, a child is living in their home, and they are learning the foster care system from the inside.

North Carolina's rules treat kinship caregivers differently from unrelated foster parents in several important ways. Understanding those differences is the first step toward getting the financial support and legal protections that come with licensed status.

The Kinship First Priority

Under NCGS 7B-505, North Carolina courts and county DSS offices are required to give priority to relative placements when a child is removed from their home. "Relative" is defined broadly — relatives by blood, marriage, or prior adoption all qualify. This statutory preference means that if a grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling, or family friend is available and willing, they are assessed before the child is placed in an unrelated foster home.

This relative-first approach exists because research consistently shows children have better outcomes when placed with people they already know. But the preference does not mean the process is simpler. Kinship caregivers face the same background check requirements as unrelated foster parents, must meet physical home standards, and are expected to complete training — though on a reduced schedule.

Emergency Placement Before Full Licensure

One of the most important protections for kinship caregivers is the ability to accept an emergency placement before completing full licensure. Under NCGS 7B-505, a relative can provide care in a "home otherwise authorized by law" while the licensing process runs in parallel — provided a court sanctions the placement.

This is a critical distinction. An unrelated person cannot receive a foster child until they hold a license. A relative can begin caring for the child while simultaneously working toward licensure, with court approval. If DSS contacts you about taking in a relative's child and you are not yet licensed, you can say yes — but you should move immediately to begin the licensing process and secure legal authorization through the court.

During this unlicensed period, you will not receive the full state board rate. Rates for unlicensed kinship placements vary by county and case circumstances. Getting licensed quickly matters financially as well as legally.

The Reduced Training Track for Kinship Caregivers

Standard non-relative foster parents in North Carolina must complete 30 hours of MAPP/GPS pre-service training. North Carolina recently approved a reduced 15-hour pre-service training track for kinship caregivers using the National Training Development Curriculum (NTDC). This change reflects the state's recognition that relatives are often already embedded in the child's life and can move more quickly to active care.

The 15-hour NTDC curriculum covers:

• Trauma-informed caregiving for children who have experienced removal
• The legal and court process in NC child welfare
• Working with DSS and birth parents
• Understanding concurrent planning and permanency options

Even at 15 hours, the training is substantive. It is not a formality. Many kinship caregivers report that the training fundamentally changed how they approached the child's behavior and their relationship with the child's birth parents.

Financial Support After Licensure

Once fully licensed, kinship caregivers receive the same board rates as unrelated licensed foster parents:

• Children ages 0–5: $702 per month
• Children ages 6–12: $742 per month
• Children ages 13–18: $810 per month

All foster children under licensed kinship care also receive NC Medicaid for medical, dental, and mental health coverage. A clothing allowance is available for newly placed children.

The transition from unlicensed relative caregiver to licensed foster parent can mean the difference between receiving no state support and receiving $700+ per month. The licensing process is worth completing even if the placement has already stabilized and the immediate crisis has passed.

Background Check Requirements for Kinship Caregivers

There are no reduced background check requirements for relatives. Every adult in the home — grandparents, new spouses, adult children who live in the house — must undergo:

• NC State Bureau of Investigation criminal history check
• FBI fingerprint-based check
• NC Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry check
• NC Sex Offender Registry check
• Interstate checks if any adult has lived outside NC in the last five years

The same absolute disqualifiers that apply to unrelated applicants apply equally to relatives. A felony conviction for child abuse, sexual offenses against minors, or violent crimes disqualifies a kinship caregiver from licensed status regardless of the family relationship.

The Kinship Caregiver Application Form

North Carolina uses a specific form for kinship licensing: the Kinship Home License Application (a revised version of the DSS-5016 adapted for relative placements). This form incorporates the same basic medical history, financial disclosure, and household information requirements as the standard application.

Your supervising agency — either the county DSS or a private agency involved in the child's case — will guide you through the specific forms required. If you are in an emergency placement situation, contact the DSS worker assigned to the child's case immediately and ask specifically about the kinship licensing track and what support is available during the pending period.

Navigating the Relationship with Birth Parents

North Carolina's "Kinship First" framework comes with an expectation that kinship caregivers will support reunification where appropriate. This can be emotionally difficult when the relative caregiver also has a conflicted history with the birth parent — when a grandparent is caring for grandchildren because their own adult child is struggling with addiction or incarceration.

NC's shared parenting requirement applies in kinship cases just as it does in unrelated foster placements. The child's visitation plan with birth parents must be honored, and kinship caregivers are expected to support — not obstruct — family contact as directed by the court and DSS.

If reunification fails and parental rights are terminated, kinship caregivers are frequently the preferred adoptive placement under NC adoption law. The path from kinship caregiver to adoptive parent is more common in North Carolina than in many other states precisely because of the "Kinship First" culture embedded in the system.

The North Carolina Foster Care Licensing Guide includes a specific section on kinship licensing — covering the emergency placement authorization process, the NTDC training curriculum, how to document your financial situation for the stability assessment, and how to navigate the relationship with DSS when you are both a family member and a licensed caregiver. If you came into this role unexpectedly, it is designed to give you clarity quickly.

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