Grandma, Grandpa, Me-Maw, Pa-Pa, Granddad, Granny …
Whatever you call them, grandparents play an essential role in healthy families. Some grandparents even raise their grandchildren as kinship foster parents.
We call them heroes.
Even when not the primary caregivers, grandparents serve as role models, offering generational wisdom and unconditional love to their families’ children.
Interestingly, September is also National Kinship Care Month, and it’s fitting that they occur in the same month. A significant portion of kinship caregivers are grandparents. Nationwide, nearly three million grandparents provide kinship care for children. In Kansas alone, of the hundreds of kinship homes served by Saint Francis, about half are homes of grandparents.
Over the years, we’ve shared stories about these exceptional individuals who selflessly sacrifice to ensure the safety and well-being of the related and nonrelated kin in their care. Whether they are grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, or close friends, kinship foster parents often put their own lives on hold to provide a safe and loving home for a child in need. We’ve met some of these people, and their stories have moved us. You can find those stories right here on this website.
The reasons kids get placed in care vary, but usually, it comes down to the fact that their biological parents are incapable of providing the structure and security they need to be healthy and safe. Often, the grandparents are the only relatives both willing and able to provide that care.
Sunday is Grandparents’ Day. Whether they raised you or not, your grandparents likely love and miss spending time with you.
If your grandparents have passed away, hold them in your heart. If they’re still here, give them a call or take them out to lunch. You’ll be glad you did.
