When Family Steps In
How kinship caregivers—often grandparents and relatives—help children stay safe, connected, and supported during family crises
Across Southeast Minnesota, many children are being raised not by their parents but by relatives or trusted family friends. Often, the people who step forward when families face their hardest moments are grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, or close family friends who open their homes to children who need stability and care.
This arrangement—known as kinship cares when relatives or close family friends take responsibility for raising children during times of family crisis. Across the United States, kinship care has become one of the most important yet often underrecognized forms of caregiving.
Kinship care typically arises when parents are temporarily unable to care for their children. Health challenges, substance use, incarceration, financial hardship, or safety concerns can all lead families to seek help from relatives. When that happens, extended family members often step in to help children remain in a safe and familiar environment.
For children, staying with relatives can make an enormous difference. When children cannot live with their parents, they often experience fear, confusion, and sadness. Moving into a stranger’s home can deepen that trauma. Living with relatives, however, can ease the transition. Children remain with people they already know and trust, in homes and routines that feel familiar.
That sense of belonging matters. Kinship care helps children stay connected to their family’s culture, traditions, and history. These connections are especially important for children of color, Native children, and children from immigrant families, who are more likely to become involved in the child welfare system. Maintaining those ties supports identity and emotional well-being.
Kinship care can also help families stay connected during difficult periods. When children remain within the family network, parents often stay more involved in their lives while working toward recovery or stability. Extended family members frequently share caregiving responsibilities, strengthening bonds across generations.
At the same time, kinship caregivers often face real challenges. Many are older adults who suddenly find themselves raising young children again. Some live on fixed incomes, and many must navigate schools, health care systems, and legal guardianship questions with little preparation.
While kinship care can reduce costs for public systems, it can create financial and emotional strain for caregivers. Access to financial assistance, legal guidance, respite care, and community support can make a significant difference in helping families provide stable homes for children.
Supporting kinship caregivers benefits entire communities. When relatives and close family friends step forward, they help reduce trauma for children, preserve family connections, and strengthen the networks that help families weather difficult times.
In Southeast Minnesota, several organizations offer information and support for kinship caregivers. Families may find help through the Southeastern Minnesota Area Agency on Aging (SEMAAA) and Minnesota Aging Pathways, which connect caregivers with education programs, support groups, respite services, and other community resources. The Family Resource Center operated by Family Service Rochester provides support to kinship caregivers. Additional statewide help is available through Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota’s Kinship Family Support Services and Minnesota’s Kinship Navigator network.
For many children, the people who step forward in times of crisis are family members who quietly make room at the table and space in their lives. Their willingness to care for the next generation helps children grow up not only safe but also rooted in the relationships that give them a lasting sense of belonging.
Originally appeared in Today magazine. April 2026.
Family Resource Center has a Family Advocate specializing in kinship care. Give us a call 507-218-3255.
