“What does kinship fostering mean to me? It means keeping my family close to me. It means giving a 3 year old love and a sturdy foundation to grow with. It means taking her to church and giving her God so she will have Him through any trials in life. It means keeping her close to her biological mother and any future siblings. It's giving her past, but allowing her to have a better future. It's helping her through her trauma from things experienced, but teaching her that things are different now. It's giving her normalcy, and emphasizing that we are never going to leave her by choice or because we've done something wrong. She was not quite 2 when we got her, but the trauma is REAL even at that young age. She says things now that shows us she understands things more than we think, and she has been affected greatly! She tells me I'm going to leave her, I'm going to give her away like her mom did. I say, NEVER! But words are words.....and I'm going to just have to prove it to her with time and actions! I love her very much! She's not perfect, neither am I.”
- Julie Wright, Kinship Caregiver
“I was 17 when I went to live with my dad's mom. Things had been very tense in my home, especially between my stepmother and me, and I didn't feel safe or welcomed. My "gram" had always been there for me, so when I couldn't stay at home, I went to live with her. I cannot even imagine what it would have been like if I had to live with strangers.”
- Marnie Allen, Resource Family Consultant
"It [kinship care] means choosing love — even when it changes everything. My boyfriend, Daniel, and I had been dating for years, focused on our careers and enjoying our independence. Starting a family wasn’t part of our plan. We spent our time working, going out, and dreaming about future travel — not parenthood. But when my newborn nephew Edison needed a home, we stepped up — not for my brother, but for Edison. He deserved love, safety, and a family. I was terrified. Kinship care meant letting go of the life I thought I wanted. I worried about my job, our relationship, finances, and whether I could truly be a mother. But Daniel never hesitated. He stepped in with calm, commitment, and heart — and helped me see we could do this. For many, kinship care is temporary — a way to support a child while their parents work toward reunification. And that’s a beautiful goal. But sometimes, the reality is that parents aren’t able to make the changes needed. That was the case for us. Edison’s biological parents weren’t taking steps to get him back, and we knew he needed — and deserved — permanence. Adoption wasn’t planned from the beginning, but it became the right path for Edison. What began as stepping in to care for an innocent child became forever. We were already a family — adoption just made it official. Thanks to kinship care, we had the incredible opportunity to meet our son, Edison. This journey not only brought him into our lives but also allowed us to discover a depth of love and purpose we never knew we were missing. Kinship care gave Edison a home and gave us a new purpose.”
- Tracy Zambrano, Kinship Caregiver and Adoptive Parent
“The first time I entered care I was given the volition to choose where I wanted to live. I had a lot of relationships that were important to me, but I wanted to be with my neighbor who looked after me when my dad would go to jail. My social worker asked me, ‘Do you know someone you could stay with?’ And when I told her, she brought me to my neighbor who had moved away just a couple weeks before. This neighbor is now my mom. She always supported my dad, helped me find out who my biological mother was, and maintained the connections I had prior to coming into care. It didn’t feel so difficult knowing all my supports were still in the game.”
- Ethan Dye, Resource Program Coordinator
“Kinship care to me means providing a safe, loving home for two precious little boys. It means keeping them connected to family and being able to participate in their care and to help make decisions for them to foster the best possible outcomes for their success and positive growth. Being a kinship caregiver has been a blessing to our family as the children give us a sense of purpose. And as much love as we give them, they give it back tenfold!”
- Sonya Hammill, Kinship Caregiver
"Kinship is an easier transition from a difficult separation to the love of others who already know and love the child."
- Anonymous Kinship Resource Parent
“I work with the Kinship Navigator program and I am a kinship caregiver, having raised my grandson. As I have watched our state move more toward Kin First culture, I am feeling optimistic. Kinship, to me, is a way to preserve those family connections that run so deep. I see so many informal kinship caregivers who have for these children without being involved with the welfare system. They have loved and cared for these children and often these children have significant trauma that requires additional treatment. They could benefit from not only resources for the family but support from the community as well. I applaud the many health and welfare organizations that have reached out to assist these families as well as the faith-based community.”
- Nancy Boyd, Kinship Navigator and Caregiver
“Kinship care and the kinship program have meant the world to me. When I took my grandson in because his parents couldn’t care for him, I was able to raise him and keep the connection open to his father, my son. He is connected to his great aunts and uncles, so he knows his family. Being able to attend a support group and meet other families who have experienced this has been great. It has been a struggle sometimes to step up and be the parent, but knowing his family has meant a lot for my grandson and he knows he belongs.“
- Patton Mullins, Kinship Caregiver