The Kin Support Program Haa Yatx'u Saani ("Our Precious Children")
For every 20 readers, one of you is doing the incredible work of raising a young relative. Although you may feel alone at times, you are definitely in good company.
A community of caregivers
Across the United States, more than 2.6 million children are being raised by a grandparent, other relative, or close family friend, according to nationwide advocacy organization Generations United. The vast majority of these kinship families are formed independently, outside the state foster care system. Every family has its own story for why kids live with a relative, and each family has its own unique needs.
In Southeast Alaska, where our program is based, the practice of relatives caring for kids has been a foundational source of family and cultural wellness for generations. Uncles, aunties, grandparents, and clan relations all play specific roles helping children nurture connections to self, family, clan, culture, community, land, and the spiritual universe. They may step into a caregiving role to support healthy parents, to broaden a child's network of relationships, or to keep the child safe when a parent is struggling and afford the parent space to heal.
If you're struggling, that's normal
Many relative caregivers will share that while raising children is a joy, it's also taxing. It is expensive to raise kids, and many caregivers are living on a fixed income. Child care is hard to find for working caregivers. Some relatives have just begun to enjoy their independence after raising kids to adulthood. The thought of waking up to a baby's cries and chasing toddlers around again can be overwhelming.
Dynamics with the child's parents can also be hard. Nationally, the recent opioid crisis instigated a wave of grandparents becoming primary caregivers. Relatives stepping in under these circumstances may have strong feelings to navigate, including grief about their adult child's choices, confusion over how to manage the child's sense of abandonment, stress about meeting their own needs along with the child's, discomfort attending events advertised for "parents," and resentment over the lack of help.
Support in Alaska
Kinship Navigator and peer support groups have popped up across the country over the past few decades. These groups are picking up steam as society has come to recognize that kids tend to have the best outcomes when raised by family. Alaska has the following:
A statewide kinship navigator program through Volunteers of America Alaska. VOA Alaska is a behavioral health provider serving youth and adults and provides mental health services and case management for Kinship Families across the state. VOA's program includes a dedicated clinician for kinship families who can be accessed in person or via telehealth. VOA works with families inside and outside the OCS system.
A regional, culturally based kinship navigator program for the Southeast region called the Kin Support Program Haa Yatx'u Saani based in Juneau (phonetically: ha yut koo saw knee, Tlingit language). This program is open to all Southeast families where a relative is raising a child outside the Office of Children's Services system, regardless of background or financial status. The program offers family specialists, an in-house attorney for relatives, and a contract attorney for parents to help resolve legal caregiving authority for children.
Alaska Kinship Caregivers of Children is a private Facebook group for relatives raising kids, facilitated by the Alaska Impact Alliance, a nonprofit focused on preventing child abuse and supporting family wellness. The Alliance also runs URECARES (Unlicensed Relative Caregiver Stipend & Respite Program), offering annual payments and support referrals to stabilize families and reduce foster care placements. In addition, the 907 Navigation App, developed by the Alliance, connects Alaskans to trusted local resources, services, and community support with just a few taps. It's a free app available on both Android and Apple. A browser version is available at their website: https://www.alaskaimpactalliance.com/
While raising a child is never easy, especially for relative caregivers, you are part of a bigger community, and there are people ready to help.
Don't miss our upcoming statewide webinar with Alaska Commission on Aging (ACoA) and Volunteers of America Alaska in honor of Grandparents Day! All are welcome to attend, especially families where a relative is raising a child, and for anyone interested in learning more. Join us via Zoom on Sept. 5 from noon to 1:30 p.m. for a free presentation on kinship family support in Alaska. Use this Zoom link at noon: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81324705401. Have questions or need help with Zoom? Call ACoA's Program Coordinator at: 907-230-0871. You can also check with your local senior center to see if they are hosting the webinar during lunch.
Learn more about the Kin Support Program Haa Yatx'u Saani at southeastkin.org and find us on Facebook! Call us at: 907-318-6560.
