Demonstrates the benefits and challenges of serving as a kinship/foster parent and supporting and collaborating with children's biological parents. This video highlights one caregiver's decision to foster and adopt her son and become a kinship caregiver to his younger sibling. She discusses how she maintained a close, supportive relationship with their biological mother and how they ultimately created a united, blended family.

Demonstrates the life adjustments and rewards of becoming a kinship caregiver. In this video, a caregiver shares his story of what motivated him to become a kinship parent. He discusses how caring for his sister's children and a child with special needs, as well as managing a household, have changed his life and what encourages him to continue.

Addresses the critical importance of having a strong support network to face the challenges of becoming a kinship resource and caring for children who have experienced trauma. This video highlights one mother's perspective on making the decision to become a kinship parent and the rewards brought by providing care for her kinship daughters.

Hear a first-hand account of a kinship and adoptive mother raising her nephew, fulfilling roles as both aunt and primary caregiver.

Hear about the challenges and successes and how Donaniece is teaching her grandson the meaning of family.

Shares Molene’s story about becoming the primary caregiver for her four nieces, raising them, adopting them, negotiating the child welfare system, and creating a family.

Bruce and Brenda have been married for 33 years and have four daughters. From 2006 to 2009, they provided a kinship placement for their four grandchildren. In 2010, the couple adopted Bruce (now 18 years old), Tre’Nae (now 15 years old), Mason (now 13 years old), and Kiaunna (now 10 years old).

Highlights one foster and adoptive mother's experience becoming a kinship caregiver for her own grandson and the impact of agency support. In this video, she discusses the fears and questions she faced in taking on this dual role of mother and grandmother and how a foster care specialist supported them during the transition.

Addresses the challenges that some caregivers face in their dual roles as grandparents and kinship parents and the value of support networks. In this video, a paternal grandparent discusses how she and her husband provide security and stability for their family by focusing on their grandchildren's emotional and educational needs with valuable agency support and maternal family involvement.

Demonstrates the dedication and flexibility needed when providing kinship care in order to navigate visitation schedules, foster care certification processes, and permanency proceedings.

Pair this recorded webinar with the discussion guide to learn caregiver and birth parent partnerships and trauma-informed visitation. 

Spotlights how agency support and resources helped one kinship family identify creative solutions to challenges they faced. In this video, a parent reflects on her family's experience with the kinship program and how it enabled her to connect and collaborate with her kinship son's biological family.

This handout is part of the series, “Perspectives on Normalcy: Videos and Discussion Questions.” It is designed to facilitate discussion about the issues raised in the video, “Kinship Adoption: You Get a Call, ‘Do You Want These Kids?’”

Hear about the challenges and experiences of an adoptive family and how they created belonging, healthy development, and normal experiences.

Emphasizes the necessity of strong community supports to create a secure and stable environment for a new kinship family. In this video, a grandparent discusses moving across the country to ensure her grandchildren could see their parents.