Kinship Care Story: “Reaching Out for Help Has Always Been Difficult”

For Karen, asking for help has never been easy. But when financial hardship made it difficult to keep up with rent while caring for her grandson, G, she reached out to Step Up Parents.

Step Up Parents provided $1,000 toward Karen’s rent to help her get current and ease some of the financial pressure she was facing.

“Reaching out for help has always been difficult for me,” Karen shared. “Your organization made reaching out easy and without leaving me any feeling of shame.”

Karen said she has learned that it is okay to have her own voice and not feel ashamed of her family’s struggles. She also hoped to share more of her family’s story and the challenges that come with caring for a child affected by substance use.

For now, she wanted Step Up Parents to know a little about G.

She shared a favorite photo of her grandson from when he was younger. In the picture, G had decided to dress himself for picture day—a memory Karen treasures. “I share it because it’s not only one of my favorites, but because it shows how happy and loved and confident G is in himself,” she wrote.

Karen’s story is one of many that show what kinship caregivers do every day: step up for the children in their lives, even when doing so comes with financial and emotional challenges of their own. At Step Up Parents, we are grateful to be able to support caregivers like Karen as they provide stability, care, and love for the children who depend on them.

“Thank YOU all from my soul!!” Karen wrote.

We are grateful to Karen, too—for stepping up for G and for allowing us to share some of their story.