Preserving Family Connections through Kinship Care

It’s a sunny afternoon and the sounds of a sweet, bubbly preschooler playing outside fill what might normally be an air of silence - the cackling of joy and laughter that might not have been possible just a short time ago. 

“He’s my little buddy,” says Lisa Todd, who got a phone call in 2020 that her infant cousin Jayvonta needed a temporary safe place to stay.

Family means everything to Lisa, so there was no hesitation. And fast forward four years, Jayvonta is now a permanent part of Lisa's immediate family.

When children can no longer safely stay at home with their parents, Franklin County Children Services prioritizes finding family-like settings to place youth and, when possible, in kinship-related homes. This would include family relatives - grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, or adult siblings - or close family friends such as teachers and coaches, church members, or neighbors.

By keeping children connected to their family or the neighborhoods they are accustomed to, kinship placements aid in avoiding additional trauma and help young people maintain their culture, traditions, and heritage during times of separation.

September is National Kinship Care Month, when we honor and celebrate the support kinship plays in providing stability and love to children in need across Franklin County.

Jayvonta came into Lisa's life when his parents’ “tumultuous relationship” meant he couldn’t safely stay with him, she remembers. As an experienced foster parent, Lisa immediately stepped up when she heard about Jayvonta’s situation.

This North Linden resident and case manager at Franklin County Job and Family Services knew that she could help keep this newborn safer while maintaining his family connection. Between Lisa and her own immediate family, Jayvonta would have a circle of caring and responsible relatives to offer support, assistance, and childcare if needed.

“He gets all the attention,” Lisa says of this energetic, outgoing four-year-old with a dazzling smile who loves to ride his bike and help in the garden.

Jayvonta affectionately calls Lisa “LeeLee” and one of their favorite rituals together is nightly story time. TaTa, as he’s known by his loved ones, is currently in his “demanding” phase, Lisa says laughing. “He wants to do everything himself now…and be a baby at the same time.”

Being Jayvonta’s caregiver has meant everything to Lisa, she shares, emphasizing how important it was to her for this young boy to maintain family connections.

Kinship care “helps kids have a sense that they’re still a part of a family and it also gives family members an opportunity to help family,” she says. “If you have the space and energy and time to commit then it’s a great coming together. It keeps the bond.”

To learn more about kinship and how caregivers like Lisa Todd are helping to keep kids safer and preserve family ties, visit the Kinship page of the FCCS website by clicking here.

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