Conference Gives Kinship Caregivers Resources and a Voice

October 9, 2026 - 11:27

About 125 caregivers, professionals and community organizations attended Foster Family Alliance of NC's event last month. The gathering focused on relatives raising children who are not their own, a group often called kinship caregivers. Many arrive at this role without warning, taking in grandchildren, nieces, nephews or younger siblings after a parent struggles with addiction, illness, incarceration or other hardship.

Organizers said the goal was simple. Give these families a place to find practical help and to meet others walking the same road. Sessions covered legal questions, financial assistance, school enrollment and ways to navigate state agencies that can be hard to understand. Attendees also heard from caregivers who shared their own stories, including the stress of sudden responsibility and the quiet grief that comes with it.

For many, the most valuable part was not a workshop but a conversation. One caregiver said she finally felt seen after years of feeling invisible. Another described learning that respite care and support groups existed in her county. The event also gave professionals a chance to hear directly from families about where the system fails them.

Organizers plan to continue similar gatherings and push for policies that recognize kinship caregivers as a distinct group with distinct needs.