This May we’re running a four-part series of blog posts from our sponsors at the Cambia Health Foundation, which highlights the work of their local community partners.
For many kinship caregivers, the journey begins with a phone call. A grandparent learns that a grandchild needs a safe place to stay. An aunt or uncle steps in during a family crisis. A close family friend opens their home so a child can remain connected to familiar people and their community.
These families, often referred to as kinship families, are raising children when parents are unable to do so. While their caregiving provides stability and belonging for children, the caregivers themselves often take on this responsibility with little warning and limited support. What follows is often an unexpected return to parenting, while navigating school enrollment, healthcare appointments, and the emotional needs of a child who has experienced loss or disruption.
In Idaho, more than 43,000 children live in homes where a relative is the head of household, and more than 10,000 grandparents are responsible for raising their grandchildren.
Despite the vital role they play in keeping families together, kinship caregivers often experience significant isolation as they navigate parenting responsibilities, aging, and complex service systems with limited coordinated support. In rural states like Idaho, where communities can be separated by long distances and services may be spread across large geographic areas, caregivers often face additional barriers to finding information and connecting with support. Recognizing this growing need, the Cambia Health Foundation has invested in efforts across the Northwest to strengthen support for kinship caregivers and the organizations working alongside them.
A History of Support
Founded in 2012 through funding from the National Lifespan Respite grant administered by the Idaho Commission on Aging, the Idaho Caregiver Alliance (ICA), housed at Boise State University, initially focused on expanding respite and other support for caregivers broadly. As the Alliance grew and connected with caregivers and community partners across Idaho, it became clear that many families were navigating caregiving in ways that had not been widely recognized, including grandparents and relatives stepping in to raise children. In response, ICA began expanding its work to better support kinship caregivers.
Today, ICA serves as a statewide coalition of over 1,000 members and partners working together to strengthen support for family caregivers across the lifespan. The Alliance brings together community organizations, healthcare providers, researchers, state agencies, and caregivers themselves to expand access to information, respite, and practical supports.
ICA is deepening this work by expanding assistance for older adult caregivers in kinship and grandfamilies. ICA was one of six organizations across the Northwest selected for funding to expand existing initiatives and pilot new approaches to strengthening kinship caregiver support.
Through this initiative, ICA is working to form a statewide network for kinship caregivers, provide training and education for kinship caregivers across Idaho, and support community-focused initiatives that increase visibility of kinship families and available resources. These efforts build on ICA’s established statewide network and are designed to reduce isolation, strengthen caregiver confidence, and improve access to practical support for families.
This work also aligns with the Idaho Bridging Systems for Kinship Families initiative, led by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s Child, Youth, and Family Services program. Through this initiative, Idaho was selected to participate in a national effort supported by the Grandfamilies and Kinship Support Network, the nation’s first federally funded technical assistance center dedicated to kinship and grandfamilies.
Creating a Partnership
In Idaho, the Idaho Caregiver Alliance, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, and the Idaho Department of Corrections serve as lead partners in this work. Together with community organizations and caregivers with lived experience, they are working to develop a more coordinated and responsive support system for kinship families. This cross-system approach recognizes that kinship caregivers often interact with multiple systems, including child welfare, healthcare, education, and the justice system, and that meaningful change requires collaboration across those systems.
“This is the first time anybody has helped us address the trauma our granddaughter has faced.”
One of the most immediate ways ICA is supporting kinship caregivers is through the Kinship Caregiver Education Series, a free virtual program designed to provide practical tools and meaningful connection for caregivers across Idaho.
Held monthly and open to caregivers statewide, the sessions focus on trauma-informed parenting, emotional regulation, and strategies for strengthening relationships with children who may have experienced loss or disruption. Just as important as the educational content is the opportunity for caregivers to connect with others who understand the realities of kinship caregiving. For many participants, the series provides a rare opportunity to share experiences and build supportive relationships with others navigating similar journeys.
One caregiver shared, “This is the first time anybody has helped us address the trauma our granddaughter has faced.” Another caregiver reflected on the importance of simply being seen and supported: “Thank you for recognizing our family. We’ve sacrificed a lot, but it’s worth it.”
Additional partnerships have allowed ICA to provide rapid-response assistance for kinship caregivers experiencing acute strain related to statewide crises impacting child stability and caregiver wellbeing. These resources help families access immediate support while also expanding access to ongoing education and skill-building opportunities.
Coordinating Services
ICA also works to raise awareness about the experiences and needs of kinship caregivers through community partnerships, research, and public engagement. ICA staff conducted a statewide needs assessment examining kinship families impacted by substance use disorders in Idaho. The research identified significant challenges related to access to information and coordinated services while also highlighting the resilience of families supporting children through complex circumstances.
For many kinship caregivers, the journey begins unexpectedly, with a phone call or a moment of crisis that reshapes the future of an entire family.
For many kinship caregivers, the journey begins unexpectedly, with a phone call or a moment of crisis that reshapes the future of an entire family. What follows is often a complex path of navigating schools, healthcare systems, legal questions, and the emotional needs of children who have experienced loss or disruption.
When caregivers have access to information, community, and practical support, that journey becomes more manageable. Education, connection, and coordinated systems of care can help reduce isolation and strengthen families who are stepping forward to provide stability for children.
Through collaboration among caregivers, community organizations, state agencies, and national partners, Idaho is building a more connected network of support for kinship families and ensuring that caregivers raising children within their extended families are not navigating this journey alone.
By strengthening support for kinship caregivers today, Idaho is helping build a future where children can remain rooted in family, connected to community, and surrounded by the stability and opportunity they need to thrive for generations to come.
Sheila Weaver, LCSW, MPA, is Program Manager for the Idaho Caregiver Alliance’s Family Caregiver Navigator program at Boise State University. She works with statewide partners to expand support for family caregivers and kinship families through education, research, and cross-system collaboration.
Photo credit: Shutterstock/Halfpoint
