Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing Through Adversity

Are you a grandparent or kin stepping into the role of caregiver, feeling overwhelmed by systems that seem designed to ignore your voice? Do you find yourself battling not just sleepless nights and bureaucratic tangles, but also the invisible weight of holding your family together—often without recognition, adequate support, or resources? If you’ve ever felt like a hidden statistic in a caseworker’s file, burning through savings and hope to rescue the next generation, this space is for you.
After 128 episodes at the kitchen table, we’re crossing a threshold. No longer a silent army absorbing the fallout of a failing system, we are launching a national rescue mission—a movement demanding immediate, meaningful change. The conversation focused on the harsh reality: kinship caregivers are often celebrated as “prevention” while already coping with the trauma that systems label but rarely address. One concept discussed was the gap between government rhetoric—applauding reduced foster care numbers—versus the lived experience of relatives quietly taking in children with minimal support 05:21.
A key theme that emerged was the urgent need to redefine how family care and child trauma are measured. The discussion explored how outcomes like financial stability, mental health, and real healing are routinely ignored in favor of administrative metrics 06:26. Several points were raised, including the call to build a new system—one that recognizes and supports kinship families not as budget savers, but as the resilient bedrock of our society.
Welcome to 'Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing Through Adversity.' Here, your story matters. We’ll share perspectives, resources, and hope—shining light on this invisible army and fighting for the future our grandchildren deserve. Join this community where your journey is honored, your voice is heard, and together we press for change.
Send us Fan Mail
Listener Mary from PA wrote in, who shared the raw truth of raising two teenagers without state support:
"As our retirement savings dwindles, we get no assistance besides Medicaid for them... All while fosters get so much more assistance for clothing, food at home, and cost of housing! These children deserve so much more!"  
Join our Online Support Group starting October 7th.

I want to know how you’re doing. Is the podcast giving you what you need? What support are you missing most right now? Send me a Direct Message on Facebook or Instagram or email me directly at laurabrazan@grandparents-raising-grandchildren.org. I read and reply to every message because this community is built on supporting each other!

Thank you for tuning into today's episode. It's been a journey of shared stories, insights, and invaluable advice from the heart of a community that knows the beauty and challenges of raising grandchildren. Your presence and engagement mean the world to us and to grandparents everywhere stepping up in ways they never imagined.
Remember, you're not alone on this journey. For more resources, support, and stories, visit our website and follow us on our social media channels. If today's episode moved you, consider sharing it with someone who might find comfort and connection in our shared experiences.
We look forward to bringing more stories and expert advice your way next week. Until then, take care of yourselves and each other.

Want to be a guest on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing Through Adversity? Send Laura Brazan a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/grg

Liked this episode? Share it and tag us on Facebook @GrandparentsRaisingGrandchilden 
Love the show? Leave a review and let us know!
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Do you ever feel lost in the maze of court dates, school meetings, and sleepless nights, forced into a role you never expected? Are you a grandparent who has become the last line of defense for your family, while the system treats your love and sacrifice as just another case number? Maybe you find yourself grieving not just the loss of a peaceful retirement, but the heartbreak of watching your own child struggle, all while building a new life for your grandchildren.
I’m Laura, and like you, my life was rewritten the day my grandson was removed from his mother with no warning, a reality no grandparent imagines. Navigating a system that hides its decisions behind a “black box,” my husband and I fought for months to keep our family together, relying on sheer determination and the kindness of a good attorney.
Welcome to 'Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.' Here, our focus is on real stories that cut through the silence—stories shaped not only by resilience, but by the cold, hard data that reveals how deeply flawed the system is. You’ll hear conversations with experts like this week's episode with Dr. Jill Bryant, a counseling professor and grandmother, who is building the research—and the case—for a future where the well-being of kinship families is not ignored. Complete Dr. Bryant's survey here to help us get the data we need! 
We’ll discuss what it truly means to parent a second time, the grief that goes unspoken, and the shame that lingers in our quiet moments. We’ll dig into the nuanced challenges of trauma, the gaps in support, and the power of speaking up—because your experience deserves recognition and your story can drive real change.
Join me and a community of 2.7 million strong. Together, we will gather the voices and the data needed to transform the laws and support networks for grandparents raising grandchildren—proving that we are more than a safety net; we are the force for change our families desperately need.
Send us Fan Mail
Listener Mary from PA wrote in, who shared the raw truth of raising two teenagers without state support:
"As our retirement savings dwindles, we get no assistance besides Medicaid for them... All while fosters get so much more assistance for clothing, food at home, and cost of housing! These children deserve so much more!"  
Join our Online Support Group starting October 7th.

We are done letting agencies profit off caregiver sacrifice while families go broke paying court fees. If you were bullied into taking custody without formal support, I need to hear from you. Share your story.
I want to know how you’re doing. Is the podcast giving you what you need? What support are you missing most right now? Send me a Direct Message on Facebook or Instagram or email me directly at laurabrazan@grandparents-raising-grandchildren.org. I read and reply to every message because this community is built on supporting each other!

Thank you for tuning into today's episode. It's been a journey of shared stories, insights, and invaluable advice from the heart of a community that knows the beauty and challenges of raising grandchildren. Your presence and engagement mean the world to us and to grandparents everywhere stepping up in ways they never imagined.
Remember, you're not alone on this journey. For more resources, support, and stories, visit our website and follow us on our social media channels. If today's episode moved you, consider sharing it with someone who might find comfort and connection in our shared experiences.
We look forward to bringing more stories and expert advice your way next week. Until then, take care of yourselves and each other.

Want to be a guest on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing Through Adversity? Send Laura Brazan a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/grg

Liked this episode? Share it and tag us on Facebook @GrandparentsRaisingGrandchilden 
Love the show? Leave a review and let us know!
CONNECT WITH US: Website | Facebook

Are you a grandparent navigating the chaos of raising neurodivergent grandchildren, feeling like you’re exceeding your emotional limits every single day? Do you find yourself craving just one uninterrupted breath, struggling to reconcile the clinical language of “disorder” and “correction” with the vibrant, complex reality of your family? Are your own sensory needs clashing with those of the children in your care, leaving you feeling both isolated and unseen?
Jennifer Brunton, is an autistic mother and grandmother, and primary caregiver to two brilliant, intense, neurodivergent toddlers. Her projects encompass books, talks (including Keynotes), thought leadership and other articles, and consulting. She is coauthor of The #ActuallyAutistic Guide to Advocacy. She's worked as a writer and editor at Forbes, Random House, Mirabella, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, as well as for a range of individual, corporate, and academic clients.
Welcome to “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren,” where we break down old, pathologizing walls and build a house rooted in acceptance, honesty, and shared challenge. Here, you’ll find solidarity from other grandparents who understand what it is to stretch past capacity, expert insight on neuroaffirming advocacy, and real tools for adapting your household—headphones, comfort chickens, and micro-adjustments included. Together, we reframe compliance as compassion, and disorder as difference.
Join me on this journey as we create new blueprints for our families, root out stigma, and uplift each other. In community, we honor the survival—and the leadership—of kinship caregivers like you, dismantling isolation with every honest story shared.
Send us Fan Mail
Listener Mary from PA wrote in, who shared the raw truth of raising two teenagers without state support:
"As our retirement savings dwindles, we get no assistance besides Medicaid for them... All while fosters get so much more assistance for clothing, food at home, and cost of housing! These children deserve so much more!"  
Join our Online Support Group starting October 7th.

We are done letting agencies profit off caregiver sacrifice while families go broke paying court fees. If you were bullied into taking custody without formal support, I need to hear from you. Share your story.
I want to know how you’re doing. Is the podcast giving you what you need? What support are you missing most right now? Send me a Direct Message on Facebook or Instagram or email me directly at laurabrazan@grandparents-raising-grandchildren.org. I read and reply to every message because this community is built on supporting each other!

Thank you for tuning into today's episode. It's been a journey of shared stories, insights, and invaluable advice from the heart of a community that knows the beauty and challenges of raising grandchildren. Your presence and engagement mean the world to us and to grandparents everywhere stepping up in ways they never imagined.
Remember, you're not alone on this journey. For more resources, support, and stories, visit our website and follow us on our social media channels. If today's episode moved you, consider sharing it with someone who might find comfort and connection in our shared experiences.
We look forward to bringing more stories and expert advice your way next week. Until then, take care of yourselves and each other.

Want to be a guest on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing Through Adversity? Send Laura Brazan a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/grg

Liked this episode? Share it and tag us on Facebook @GrandparentsRaisingGrandchilden 
Love the show? Leave a review and let us know!
CONNECT WITH US: Website | Facebook

Are you a grandparent stepping into the role of raising grandchildren, questioning how to build a sanctuary out of chaos—especially when trauma lingers in your family’s story? Do legal barriers, relentless exhaustion, or the stigma of addiction leave you feeling stranded, yearning for guidance grounded in real science rather than just willpower? If you’ve ever wished you could pause the world for a moment of rest or clarity, you are not alone.
I’m your host, and for decades, I’ve worked alongside families like yours—those who’ve faced down disaster, addiction, and loss while showing up, day after day, for their grandchildren. I know firsthand how shame and blame can seep into the fabric of kinship care, convincing us that struggling means failing. But what if true recovery starts by honoring our limits and building supportive connections, not just for the children in our care but for ourselves?
Welcome to "Grandparents Raising Grandchildren." Here, you’ll meet experts like Dr. Christal Baldor, a trauma researcher and clinician who translates clinical breakthroughs into kitchen-table strategies for rural caregivers. You’ll hear candid conversations about turning exhaustion into resilience, shifting from a narrative of moral failure to systemic recovery, and confronting hard realities like substance use disorder—with dignity and hope.
Join our community as we uproot outdated stigmas, spotlight rural wisdom, and gather practical, evidence-based tools to nurture your family through adversity. Together, we’ll turn pain into power, redefining what’s possible for you and your grandchildren—one informed, compassionate step at a time.
Send us Fan Mail
Listener Mary from PA wrote in, who shared the raw truth of raising two teenagers without state support:
"As our retirement savings dwindles, we get no assistance besides Medicaid for them... All while fosters get so much more assistance for clothing, food at home, and cost of housing! These children deserve so much more!"  
Join our Online Support Group starting October 7th.

We are done letting agencies profit off caregiver sacrifice while families go broke paying court fees. If you were bullied into taking custody without formal support, I need to hear from you. Share your story.
I want to know how you’re doing. Is the podcast giving you what you need? What support are you missing most right now? Send me a Direct Message on Facebook or Instagram or email me directly at laurabrazan@grandparents-raising-grandchildren.org. I read and reply to every message because this community is built on supporting each other!

Thank you for tuning into today's episode. It's been a journey of shared stories, insights, and invaluable advice from the heart of a community that knows the beauty and challenges of raising grandchildren. Your presence and engagement mean the world to us and to grandparents everywhere stepping up in ways they never imagined.
Remember, you're not alone on this journey. For more resources, support, and stories, visit our website and follow us on our social media channels. If today's episode moved you, consider sharing it with someone who might find comfort and connection in our shared experiences.
We look forward to bringing more stories and expert advice your way next week. Until then, take care of yourselves and each other.

Want to be a guest on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing Through Adversity? Send Laura Brazan a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/grg

Liked this episode? Share it and tag us on Facebook @GrandparentsRaisingGrandchilden 
Love the show? Leave a review and let us know!
CONNECT WITH US: Website | Facebook

Have you ever felt like the system is writing the ending of your grandchild’s story before they’ve even found their voice? Are your grandchildren weighed down by labels—traumatized, behind, abnormal—while you’re expected to manage their pain and follow rigid rules? If you’ve ever felt powerless to change the narrative or wished you could help your grandchild reclaim their identity from the case files, this episode is for you.
I’m Laura Brazan, and after my own family was reshaped by adversity, I discovered that healing doesn’t come from fixing every problem—it comes from helping children find their voice. When today’s guest, Kate Markland, was granted just one hour a week on FaceTime with her son by the courts, she chose not to fill it with grief, but with a question: “Do you want to be the hero of your own story?” What followed was more than a bestselling book; it was a masterclass in how grandparents and kinship caregivers can become the scribes of their grandchildren’s triumphs.
On ‘Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing Through Adversity,’ we delve deep into the realities of kinship care—navigating the legal, financial, and emotional challenges, but also recognizing the hidden power you have as a caregiver. This episode unpacks therapeutic storytelling, a simple but profound way to move children from trauma to creativity. Through asking questions like “tell me more,” you can help your grandchild move from fear to self-expression, turning moments of heartbreak at the kitchen table into stories of courage and hope.
Join us as we explore how to listen, clarify, and capture your grandchild’s words—without correction, without judgment—and help them take back the pen. Together, we’ll nurture resilience and rewrite futures, one story at a time.
Send us Fan Mail
Listener Mary from PA wrote in, who shared the raw truth of raising two teenagers without state support:
"As our retirement savings dwindles, we get no assistance besides Medicaid for them... All while fosters get so much more assistance for clothing, food at home, and cost of housing! These children deserve so much more!"  
Join our Online Support Group starting October 7th.

We are done letting agencies profit off caregiver sacrifice while families go broke paying court fees. If you were bullied into taking custody without formal support, I need to hear from you. Share your story.
I want to know how you’re doing. Is the podcast giving you what you need? What support are you missing most right now? Send me a Direct Message on Facebook or Instagram or email me directly at laurabrazan@grandparents-raising-grandchildren.org. I read and reply to every message because this community is built on supporting each other!

Thank you for tuning into today's episode. It's been a journey of shared stories, insights, and invaluable advice from the heart of a community that knows the beauty and challenges of raising grandchildren. Your presence and engagement mean the world to us and to grandparents everywhere stepping up in ways they never imagined.
Remember, you're not alone on this journey. For more resources, support, and stories, visit our website and follow us on our social media channels. If today's episode moved you, consider sharing it with someone who might find comfort and connection in our shared experiences.
We look forward to bringing more stories and expert advice your way next week. Until then, take care of yourselves and each other.

Want to be a guest on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing Through Adversity? Send Laura Brazan a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/grg

Liked this episode? Share it and tag us on Facebook @GrandparentsRaisingGrandchilden 
Love the show? Leave a review and let us know!
CONNECT WITH US: Website | Facebook