Governor Stein Proclaims Kinship Care Month

Kinship Care Month

2026

By The Governor Of The State Of North Carolina

A Proclamation

Whereas, the youth of North Carolina are our most precious resource and hope for the future, and all children deserve a safe, loving, and nurturing place to call home; and

Whereas, approximately 10,600 children and youths live in the foster care system in North Carolina, with about 31 percent placed in kinship care; and

Whereas, kinship care is one of the most vital structures for providing North Carolina’s children with love, dignity, and belonging; and placement with kinship care providers – relatives or close family friends – ensures a sense of physical and emotional safety; and

Whereas, kinship families open their homes and hearts to children whose families are in crisis and play vital roles in helping children and families heal and reunify while launching children into successful adulthood; and

Whereas, North Carolina encourages the preservation of kinship care connections as one of its transformational goals while honoring kinship caregivers and their crucial roles in serving young people; and

Whereas, numerous individuals, communities, and public and private organizations work to increase public awareness of the unique needs of children in foster care placed with kinship care providers and of the enduring and valuable contributions made by kinship families; and

Whereas, Kinship Care Month is an opportunity to recognize the kinship care providers who open their hearts to provide children with a sense of connection, security, and ties to their culture, family, and community – as well as child welfare professionals and advocates working to ensure children’s safety, permanence, and well-being – and to spread awareness on behalf of the children in kinship care; and

Whereas, the State of North Carolina encourages people to volunteer their time, energy, and talents on behalf of children in foster care and their biological families, kinship caregivers, and foster parents during this month and throughout the year;

Now, Therefore, I, Josh Stein, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim September 2026 as “Kinship Care Month” in North Carolina and commend its observance.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this twenty-seventh day of August in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-sixth and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fifty-first.