A Kinship Grandma Adopts!

While foster parents spend months preparing and training to become certified before welcoming a child into their home, kinship caregivers often say yes to caring for a relative or family friend with no notice at all. 

"Foster parents go into this with forethought," Raeleen Woodbury, a kinship care grandmother, notes.  "They plan, and they prepare. They often have a spouse, and together, they decide how they will financially support bringing a child into their home. They have a community and a support network to contact when they need help. Kinship providers are often thrown into a situation unprepared and without planning."

Raeleen knows firsthand the struggle that kinship caregivers face. Raeleen moved from Tennessee to Colorado to care for her grandchildren. She is currently the sole caregiver for her two grandsons, River and Rowan, who she has cared for since birth. 

Rowan with the Christmas gifts from the MOPS group

After River was born, he spent some time in the NICU before Raeleen could take him home. She was new to the state, without friends, family, or a support network, and struggling to make ends meet and care for a newborn with complex medical issues. 

Over the years, Raeleen has leaned into the support Project 1.27 offers kinship families. She has attended the picnic and Christmas party to connect with other families and get the boys' diapers, clothes, shoes, and other resources. Last Christmas, Project 1.27 connected her with a MOPS group from a local church that blessed the family with Christmas presents for the boys, diaper rash cream, lotion, and boxes of diapers. The group wanted to get Raeleen a gift, too, so she asked for a crockpot to help prepare meals for the boys. 

River with the Christmas gifts from the MOPS group

In 2023, Raeleen was one of the first families to join the Neighbor Program under Project 1.27, where she was connected with a volunteer who provided monthly meals and encouragement. 

"The Neighbor Program has probably been one of the greatest blessings we could've ever been given," Raeleen shares. "Project 127 has never thought twice about helping us or said anything hurtful regarding my difficult situation. They simply did God's work."

When asked what advice she'd give other kinship families, Raeleen shared, "Don't worry about how much you have or don't have. God puts the right people in your path to help you when no one else does."
In August, Raeleen received amazing news! She was able to finalize Rowan's adoption and officially move to Tennessee to be closer to family.

By Jenny Watson, Director of Communication and Events