About Us

Board of Directors

Heather Simmons, Chair; Lund Family Center

Evelyn Sawyer, Vice Chair; Washington County Mental Health

Betty Holton, Secretary; Kinship Caregiver

Loretta Masi, Treasurer; Kinship Caregiver

Linda Deliduka, Kinship Caregiver

Brenda Hamlin, Kinship Caregiver

Chris Morey, Kinship Caregiver

Charlotte Parot, Milton Family Community Center

Vicki Torsch, University of Vermont

Sandi Yandow, Kinship Caregiver

Advisory Council

Sally Borden, KidSafe Collaborative

Barbara Consentino, Vermont Adoption Consortium

Shaun Donahue, Family Services, DCF

Tara Graham, Vermont Children’s Aid

Mark Schroeter, AHS Americorps

Brian Southworth, Casey Family Services

Leslie Williams, Family Services, DCF

Staff

Lynn Granger, Coordinator

THE STATISTICS

According to the 2000 Census, 6,000,000 (1 in 12) children lived with grandparents or other relatives in the United States. In Vermont, 4,067 children in Vermont lived with grandparents; 966 lived with other relatives. Research shows that children do better when they are with relatives, if their parents are unable to care for them. They know their caregivers, maintain a connection to the extended family, and live in and learn about their family history, culture and traditions. They do better in school, have fewer behavior problems and generally are more settled.

VKAP’S HISTORY

In 2004 the Vermont Legislature set aside $5,000 for a conference for and about relatives who were raising the children of others. The first "Parenting Revisited" kinship conference was held in April of 2005 and was a major success. Because of the impact of the conference, a small group of grandparents raising their grandchildren together with community partners who saw the needs, applied for nonprofit status and Vermont Kin As Parents was founded in October 2005.

With three year grants from Fanny Allen Corporation and the Department for Children and Families, a part-time coordinator was hired in 2007. The VKAP office, generously donated by Casey Family Services, was opened in Winooski in June of the same year. Since then VKAP has become known throughout Vermont as a strong advocate for relative caregivers and the children they are raising and as a resource for kinship caregivers as well as social service agencies.

THE ISSUES

Relative caregivers experience dramatic and unplanned changes in their lives when they take on the responsibility for the children including:

  • Lack of knowledge about resources and how the system works
  • Legal issues and legal expenses
  • Unplanned expenses; financial challenges
  • Return to work after retirement
  • Becoming the parental figure rather than the doting relative
  • Understanding the children who have often been traumatized
  • Working with schools, homework and technology, all of which have changed since they were in school
  • Strained or conflicting relationship with the child’s parents
  • Changed relationships with other family members
  • Loss of freedom
  • Loss of friends
  • Little or no break from the “parenting role”

Because VKAP was founded by relatives, we understand the issues that kinship caregivers face and can offer help and support.

HOW WE CAN HELP FAMILIES

Vermont Kin As Parents...

  • Offers information about resources available to kinship families and make referrals to agencies as needed.
  • Helps families navigate the different systems in which they may be involved
  • Collaborates with state and private agencies
  • Offers an annual kinship conference for caregivers and those who work with them
  • Holds an annual picnic for kinship caregivers and the children they are raising
  • Publishes VKAP Voices which updates families and professionals about what is happening in the state and nationally and includes kinship stories and resource information for families
  • Developing a respite program so that caregivers can have break from parenting
  • Helps communities develop kinship support groups and holds quarterly meetings for support group leaders
  • Meets regularly with the DCF Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner to discuss issues and ways to address them
  • Through national and state connections, is aware of changing legislation impacting kinship families, offers the kin perspective whenever possible, and informs caregivers of the changes

HOW WE EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS

  • Annual kinship conference
  • Presentations at conferences, trainings, meetings
  • Membership on multiple state committees on families
  • Radio shows focused on kinship
  • Attendance at national conferences and information shared at the state and local level
  • Strong connections with national organizations