Cindy answered an unexpected call one day from a friend in need of help. The friend’s sister had a 3-month-old son whom she was unable to care for, so she asked Cindy to care for the baby. Cindy and her husband, who already had a blended family of 3 children, made the quick decision to welcome the baby into their lives
Within a couple of days, Cindy and her husband not only had a baby in their home, but the state was also helping with some of the basic needs of new (and unexpected) parents, such as formula, a car seat, and a bed.
“It was an easy transition — as easy as it can be to go from having no baby to having a baby the next day,” Cindy said.
Cindy is one of thousands of adults in Texas providing kinship care, in which a relative or a family friend like Cindy provides care for a child when parents are unable to do so. Kinship care helps keep children connected to their extended families and their communities. During September, which is National Kinship Care Month, DePelchin celebrates kinship caregivers and the safe, loving homes they provide for children who need temporary care.
DePelchin serves kinship caregivers in multiple ways, such as helping kinship caregivers become licensed foster parents. For example, DePelchin staff may show the family how to demonstrate financial stability, or the staff may help the family pass a state-required inspection. DePelchin also provides kinship families with supplies, resources, and guidance they need after children enter their care suddenly.
Cindy connected with the DePelchin team after workers with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services gave her a list of organizations she could contact for assistance, and she has leaned on DePelchin for guidance since the baby arrived in her home.
Cindy’s own family and friends have rallied around her kinship journey; her adult children and her friends love to visit the baby. She also stays close to the baby’s extended family, including his mother.
To learn more about kinship care, please visit this page on the DePelchin website. Also, we are thankful for DePelchin’s donors who make it possible for us to work with so many families who provide kinship care. Please click here to donate and support the services DePelchin provides to children and families.
