“Grandma tells me she loves me every day. Grandpa tells me I can do anything. When I grow up, I want to help people.”
Those are the words of Malachi, an 8-year-old living with one of the more than 53,000 kinship caregiver families in Washington state.
His reflections were included in “Voices of Children Raised by Grandparents and Other Relatives,” a collection of stories, writing, and artwork created by children living in kinship care. The book is produced through an annual statewide contest coordinated by Family Education & Support Services (FESS).
This year marks the 26th anniversary of the contest. Entries are judged by community members. The children whose submissions best represent the kinship care experience were honored at the Governor’s Mansion on May 14.
Winners received a $100 award from Peak Credit Union.
A proclamation from Bob Ferguson was also given, officially recognizing a day in May as Kinship Caregiver Day.
“We wanted people to learn about kinship care through the contest,” said Trista Mason, director of kinship services for FESS. “It’s an opportunity for kids to have their voices heard.”
“Many people don’t realize how many families have stepped in to raise relative children,” added Lynn Urvina, who served in the kinship care role for 14 years before Mason.
Currently, about 5,000 licensed foster families in Washington care for children who can no longer live with their birth parents. By comparison, there are roughly 53,000 kinship caregivers across the state — relatives and close family friends who have opened their homes to children in need.
One of those caregivers is Wendy Larson of Olympia. Nearly 27 years ago, she began providing intermittent care for her sister’s three children. In 2019, that care became permanent. With only a few weeks to prepare, she welcomed the children into her home full-time.
She remodeled both her house and her life to make room for them.
“I wanted to keep the kids together,” Larson said.
Like many kinship caregivers, she quickly discovered how overwhelming it could be to provide financially, emotionally, and physically for multiple children while also raising her biological child. Eventually, she found support through FESS and its kinship caregiver groups.
“FESS changed my life for the better,” she said. “It wouldn’t feel the same without them.”
When children are removed from their birth homes, state caseworkers are required to first look for relatives who may be able to care for them. But once relatives step into that role, they are often left navigating a complicated system of paperwork, resources and requirements — all while adjusting to an unexpected new chapter of family life.
Larson said her transition was somewhat easier because she had already been deeply involved in the children’s lives. “I had a pretty good grip on the kids by the time they came to live with me permanently,” she said. “I’ve always been an active part of their lives.” Even so, the challenges were greater than she anticipated.
“Dealing with all the additional things — it wasn’t like I thought it would be,” she said.
She credits both Mason and Urvina with helping her navigate the process and connect with resources. “From the very first day I stepped into that FESS building, I got help,” Larson said. “FESS has a lot of support for you.”
Kinship caregivers often rely on services like emergency financial assistance, food and clothing support, transportation help, counseling, rental and utility assistance, and support for school and youth activities. When FESS cannot directly provide a service, staff work to connect families with trusted community partners who can.
To help expand those services, Cambria Health Foundation recently awarded FESS a $50,000 grant to support additional case management services. The foundation also partnered on a video highlighting the importance of kinship care and the impact caregivers have on healthier communities.
But beyond the financial and logistical challenges, Larson said one of the hardest parts for caregivers is the feeling of isolation. “We think we are all alone,” she said. “The support groups helped me realize you do not have to feel alone. “Through those connections, she learned the importance of building a strong “circle of trust” around her family and ensuring the children had positive influences in their lives. “We have a really tight-knit family,” she said.
For Urvina, Larson’s story reflects the heart of kinship care. “They want to keep the kids with family and connected to their culture,” she said. “It’s all about the kids. That’s why kinship families do what they do.”
For more information about kinship care and the FESS kinship program, please visit https://familyess.org/kinship/
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Family Education and Support Services is a nonprofit serving Thurston, Lewis, Mason and Grays Harbor counties with a mission to inspire healthy child development through the provision of quality family support services. To submit an opinion piece to the Thurston Chronicle, email news@thurstonchronicle.com
