Temporary Kinship Care Information

Va. Code § 22.1-3(4) allows a child to attend school in a Virginia school division, such as Dinwiddie County Public Schools, for free “When the parents of such person are unable to care for the person and the person is living, not solely for school purposes, with another person who resides in the school division and is:… (iii) an adult relative providing temporary kinship care as that term is defined in § 63.2-100.” Va. Code § 22.1-3(4)(iii) allows: “Local school divisions may require one or both parents and the relative providing kinship care to submit signed, notarized affidavits (a) explaining why the parents are unable to care for the person, (b) detailing the kinship care arrangement, and (c) agreeing that the kinship care provider or the parent will notify the school within 30 days of when the kinship care arrangement ends, as well as a power of attorney authorizing the adult relative to make educational decisions regarding the person.” 

In order for a child who is living in Dinwiddie County under a temporary kinship care arrangement as defined in VA Code § 63.2-100 to be enrolled in Dinwiddie County Public Schools, the parent(s) and relative providing kinship care must submit the completed, signed, notarized affidavit (a) explaining why the parent(s) are unable to care for the child(ren), (b) detailing the kinship care arrangement, (c) agreeing the kinship care provider or parent(s) will notify the school within 30 days of when the kinship care arrangement ends. The parent(s) must also provide power of attorney as defined by § 20-166 of the Code of Virginia, delegating to another person, for a period not to exceed 180 days, any of the powers regarding the custody, care, and authorizing the other person to make educational decisions regarding the child. A power of attorney executed pursuant to § 20-167 shall be invalid if executed for the primary purpose of enrolling the child in a school for the sole purpose of participating in the academic or interscholastic athletics programs provided by that school or for any other unlawful purpose. 

Per Va. Code § 22.1-3.1(A), a person enrolling a student for the first time in any school division in the Commonwealth of Virginia must present a certified birth certificate of the child being enrolled. If the person enrolling the student cannot present a certified copy of the birth certificate, the reason that the document cannot be produced must be included in the notarized affidavit presented to Dinwiddie County Public Schools. 

Any questions regarding the attached forms should be directed to the Office of Planning and Accountability at 804-469-4190. 

Please upload the Dinwiddie County Public Schools Kinship/Fictive Kin Care Notarized Affidavit and the Power of Attorney documents when you are completing your online enrollment application or deliver the forms to your child’s school for them to attach to your online enrollment application. Links to the notarized affidavit and the power of attorney form are below. 

NOTE: The student will not be enrolled without both completed and notarized forms. In addition, the term kinship can be used interchangeably with the term fictive kin for the use of these procedures.

Kinship/Fictive Kin Care Notarized Affidavit          Power of Attorney to Delegate Parental or Legal Custodial Powers 

 

 

Definitions:

“Kinship care” means the full-time care, nurturing, and protection of children by relatives.

“Fictive kin” means persons who are not related to a child by blood or adoption but have an established relationship with the child or his/her family.