LEXINGTON, Ky. (September 22, 2026) — National Kinship Care Month, recognized each September, celebrates the grandparents, relatives, and close family friends who provide care and support for children in their families and communities. Throughout the month, the UK College of Social Work (CoSW) is recognizing kinship caregivers across Kentucky and highlighting the resources and support available through the Kentucky Kinship Resource Center (KKRC).
Sheila Rentfrow, Kentucky Kinship Resource Center program manager, sat down with the CoSW to discuss the importance of National Kinship Care Month, the unique experiences of kinship families and how the KKRC is working to ensure caregivers across the Commonwealth have access to the support they need.
What is your position with the Kentucky Kinship Resource Center and what do you do on a day-to-day basis?
My name is Sheila Rentfrow and I am the Kinship Program Manager for the Kentucky Kinship Resource Center (KKRC). Each day my goal is to ensure that:
1. All of our kinship programs are available to every kinship caregiver throughout the Commonwealth.
2. Every caregiver experiences the level of support they need from our staff and our programs.
3. We are identifying struggles and challenges that exist for kinship families and are innovating new methods for meeting those challenges.
4. All caregivers feel more confident and cared for a result of participating in our programs.
What inspired you to work with the KKRC?
I have always had a heart for children and families. In my career, I have worked with birth families, kinship families, foster families, and adoptive families in a variety of roles supporting child and family well-being. This work has allowed me to see both the challenges families face and the incredible resilience and love they demonstrate every day.
I was excited at the opportunity to work at the Kentucky Kinship Resource Center because of its commitment to supporting kinship caregivers who step up to care for children in the midst of difficult family circumstances. These caregivers step forward to work with social workers, therapists, lawyers, judges, and school personnel in the midst of confusion and uncertainty to provide their kids with what they need most: security, stability, and love.
I wanted to be a part of a program that supports a caregiver’s dedication and strength by helping them receive the resources they need to be successful. To be able to provide programs that will walk alongside them to guide them as they navigate these systems is both meaningful and rewarding.
What do you enjoy most about working with kinship families?
I have always admired the heart that comes with being a kinship caregiver. Their desire to provide the very best for their children and their families, despite not knowing all the answers, and their willingness to step into a difficult situation with courage and love is truly inspiring.
What I enjoy most is watching caregivers discover their own strength. Many caregivers begin this journey feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, and alone in caring for their family. As they gain confidence through support and resources, it is rewarding to watch as they share that knowledge with other kinship caregivers-offering encouragement and hope.
I also enjoy hearing their stories. Stories that often begin with heartbreak and uncertainty, ultimately become stores of resilience and joy. Kinship caregivers make tremendous sacrifices to provide children with security and a sense of belonging. It is a privilege to work with them as they create safe, loving homes where children and their family can grow stronger together.
How do the resources at the KKRC help kinship families as they are navigating challenges?
Our goal at the KKRC is to assist kinship families by providing support, information, and connections at every stage of their journey. From the time in which they begin caring for a child until they feel confident in their role, our focus is helping caregivers find the resources and support they need to be successful. Kinship caregiving often involves caregivers navigating systems they have never worked with before or have not been involved with in quite a long time. We strive to meet caregivers where they are, provide guidance in navigating these systems, connection to resources that can help, offer encouragement and support for the journey in the hope of making this journey a little less overwhelming.
What advice would you share with kinship families as they are beginning their journey?
The biggest piece of advice is to remember that you do not have to have all of the answers (even if you have raised children in the past) and you don’t have to try to figure it out alone. Becoming a kinship caregiver often happens unexpectedly – it is completely normal to feel overwhelmed, lost, unsure, or even fearful. Give yourself time to adjust, to ask questions, and to reach out for help. There are resources and people who can help you navigate the systems, understand your options, and find support for both you and the children in your care. Accepting help is not a sign that you are struggling—it is a strength and an important part of caring for your family.
Remember too, why you stepped forward. The love, stability, and security you are providing for that child can make a lasting difference in their life, shaping the person they become. Be sure to take each day one day at a time, celebrate the small victories, and give yourself (and your family) lots of grace along the way. What you are doing is incredibly important and we’re here to help.
What does National Kinship Care Month mean to you?
National Kinship Care Month is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the incredible commitment and strength of kinship caregivers. Every day, grandparents, aunts/uncles, siblings, cousins, family friends, teachers, babysitters, and neighbors step forward to help a child during some of the most difficult and uncertain moments not only in the child’s life, but in their family’s lives as well.
During this month, I want caregivers to know that what they are doing matters. Their courage to step into this caregiving role, working with people and systems they are unfamiliar with, to provide the stable home and love that a child needs should be recognized and supported.
I also hope that National Kinship Care Month helps to raise awareness to the many challenges that families face in caring for their children and because of that, we must continue to innovate and develop new resources and supports they need.
Most of all, Kinship Care Month is a time to say thank you to the caregivers who step forward. We see you, we appreciate you, and we are honored to walk with you.