Relative Support Services (RSS)

WHAT IS RELATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES?

Foothill Family’s Relative Support Services (RSS) program empowers relative caregivers and non-relative extended family members—such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, godparents, close family friends, neighbors, and siblings—by providing the tools and resources needed to care for children within their extended family. By strengthening these family connections, RSS helps promote permanency and stability, ensuring that children can remain in safe and nurturing homes with relatives they know and trust.

Through personalized support and guidance, the program also helps reduce reliance on foster care placements and detentions, creating better long-term outcomes for children and their caregivers.

    HOW WE SUPPORT RELATIVE CAREGIVERS

    • Personalized care plans addressing unique family needs
    • Comprehensive resources to navigate complex systems
    • Support focused on safety, permanency, and stability
    • Strengthening bonds between children and caregivers

      SERVICES WE OFFER

       

      • Case Management: Guidance in accessing community and social services.

      • Resource Navigation: Help with benefits, legal support, and school systems.

      • Counseling and Interventions: Targeted sessions to build family resilience.

      • Support Groups, Workshops and Training: Tools to enhance caregiving skills and address challenges.

      Healthy Families America
      Healthy Families America

      WHY IT MATTERS 

      KEEPING FAMILIES TOGETHER

      Relative Support Services (RSS) plays a crucial role in fostering stability and preventing unnecessary detentions by ensuring that children can remain in safe, loving homes with relatives they already know and trust. Research shows that children placed with relatives experience fewer disruptions, maintain stronger family and cultural connections, and have better emotional and behavioral outcomes than those placed in non-relative foster care.

      By providing tailored guidance, case management, and access to essential resources, RSS helps caregivers overcome challenges that might otherwise lead to out-of-home placements. Each year, thousands of children nationwide benefit from relative caregivers stepping in to provide consistent care—keeping families together and giving children the stability they need to thrive.

      WHO CAN BENEFIT

      IS RSS RIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILY?

      Relative Support Services is designed for:

      • Grandparents, aunts, uncles, or siblings stepping in to care for children when parents are unable to do so.

      • Families navigating the foster care or child welfare system who need guidance and advocacy to keep children safely within their extended family.

      • Caregivers seeking resources, training, or emotional support to strengthen their caregiving skills and create stable, nurturing homes.

      Our team provides nonjudgmental, culturally sensitive support, understanding that every family’s situation is unique. We work alongside caregivers to honor family traditions, values, and strengths while offering the tools and connections needed for long-term success.

      GET STARTED

      CONNECT WITH OUR SUPPORT TEAM

      To learn more about how Foothill Family’s Relative Support Services can support you and your family, call us today at (626) 993-3000.

       

      Our compassionate team is ready to answer your questions and guide you through available resources.