Guardianship of a Child Under Your Care Living in Your Home. A kinship legal guardian is a relative or close family friend who is appointed by the court to raise a child when the parents are unable to do so. Kinship legal guardianship (KLG) does not terminate the parents’ rights. Parents can still seek visitation, and they are still financially responsible for the child. A caregiver must have been caring for the child for at least a year before applying for KLG.
If you are interested in becoming a kinship legal guardian to a child in your care, more information is available at the Kinship Navigator Program page of the Department of Children and Families website. You must apply for KLG through the Kinship Navigator program.
KLG Through CP&P Involvement. When child abuse or neglect has been alleged and CP&P is involved in the case, CP&P can file a KLG application on behalf of a caregiver. If a caregiver wants to be kinship legal guardian to more than one child, a separate application must be filed for each child unless they are all part of the same abuse and neglect case.