Kinship Care Story: Fictive Caregiver Jaime Steps Up

Kinship caregivers step up in times of crisis, offering children stability, love, and a place to call home. Jaime and her husband know this firsthand—they have been raising 5-year-old K since infancy, ensuring he grows up in a safe and loving environment.

A Difficult Start

"K is my biological daughter's little brother. They have a father in common," Jaime shares. "K was born addicted and was going to go into the foster care system if his father didn't live with us as a safety plan, as he had just graduated from rehab the night before K was born."

Without this arrangement, K was at risk of being sent out of state. "If this plan didn't take place, K was going to go to Pennsylvania, as that was the closest area that had someone able to take him due to the rising drug epidemic."

Jaime and her husband made the life-changing decision to step in, offering their home—and their hearts—to ensure K had the love and stability he deserved.

A Commitment to Stability

Though they initially agreed to co-parent with K’s father under a safety plan, addiction soon took its toll. "Within the first year of K's life, both parents fell back into the life of addiction, and my husband and I were granted guardianship," Jaime explains. "'Mom' hasn’t seen K since he was 3 months old, and 'Dad' hasn’t seen him since he was a year and 4 months old."

Despite the challenges, Jaime and her husband have embraced their role fully. Raising K has meant navigating behavioral, health, and cognitive struggles, but their love for him has never wavered.

"We wouldn't change anything about our situation and have raised K as our own, perfectly integrated with our family."

Support for Kinship Caregivers

Kinship caregivers like Jaime and her husband often take on parental responsibilities unexpectedly, without the financial or logistical preparation that traditional parents might have. That’s where Step Up Parents comes in.

To help ease the burden, Step Up Parents provided Jaime’s family with funds to rent a dumpster, allowing them to clean and organize their home to better accommodate K’s needs.

Every act of support—big or small—makes a difference in the lives of kinship caregivers who selflessly step up to raise children in need. Jaime and her husband’s story is a testament to the power of love and family.

Thank you, Jaime, for being a hero in K’s life.