Empowering Kinship Caregivers: A Caregiver Forum

On January 17, 2025, Children Action Alliance (CAA) joined the Seeds Community Center in hosting a powerful forum in Tucson focused on the challenges faced by kinship families. Caregivers shared their personal stories of stepping into parenting roles without adequate support, facing financial struggles, and meeting the complex emotional and behavioral needs of children impacted by trauma. They also discussed concerns about losing access to essential benefits when taking on guardianship or adoption, creating a barrier to long-term stability.  

In Arizona, 57,000 children live in kinship families, many of whom are not in the formal foster care system. The forum highlighted the critical need for sustainable support systems that can help both caregivers and children thrive. CAA is committed to advocating alongside these families and pushing for policies that provide the resources they and the children they care for urgently need.