Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing Through Adversity

Do you ever feel unseen as a grandparent or relative raising grandchildren—overlooked by the very systems meant to protect children? Have you discovered, the hard way, that the so-called “support” for kinship caregivers is riddled with gaps, bureaucracy, and outdated ideas? Are you constantly told that “family is enough,” even as you struggle for resources, support, and answers about trauma your grandchild has faced? The silence you endure, the love you give, and the hardship you shoulder—these are not small things, and you are not alone.
I’m Laura Brazan, and like you, I’ve lived through the shock of becoming the solution when the foster care system has no room and the policies don’t fit. After my own grandchildren came to live with me, I realized the reality: most “success” in child welfare is measured by closed cases, not by the nights you spend helping a child sleep without fear. It’s not easier because you’re family; if anything, the emotions and confusion cut deeper when the system turns away.
Welcome to 'Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing Through Adversity.' In this podcast, you’ll find real talk—hard truths about why so many kinship families aren’t counted, supported, or even seen. We’ll bring in advocates and experts like Ali Caliendo, who challenge old assumptions and push for a new way of thinking: that every child unable to live with their parents deserves genuine support, and so do you. For more information about Dr. Ali Caliendo please visit her website.
Together, we’ll ask better questions—about prevention, about real needs, about what it means not just to survive, but to help our grandchildren thrive. This is your community. Here, your story matters, your needs are valid, and your journey is honored. Let’s rewrite the narrative for kinship families, together—not in isolation, but as a force for change.
Send us Fan Mail
New! Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Online Support Circle! Starting Wednesday, October 7th, we meet every other Wednesday from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM Eastern.
A peer-first, confidential space—free from cross-talk, judgment, or unsolicited advice. Guided by certified therapists, specialized family coaches, and counselors who truly understand kinship care.
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!
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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
New! Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Online Support Circle! Starting Wednesday, October 7th, we meet every other Wednesday from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM Eastern.
A peer-first, confidential space—free from cross-talk, judgment, or unsolicited advice. Guided by certified therapists, specialized family coaches, and counselors who truly understand kinship care.
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

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
New! Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Online Support Circle! Starting Wednesday, October 7th, we meet every other Wednesday from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM Eastern.
A peer-first, confidential space—free from cross-talk, judgment, or unsolicited advice. Guided by certified therapists, specialized family coaches, and counselors who truly understand kinship care.
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
New! Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Online Support Circle! Starting Wednesday, October 7th, we meet every other Wednesday from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM Eastern.
A peer-first, confidential space—free from cross-talk, judgment, or unsolicited advice. Guided by certified therapists, specialized family coaches, and counselors who truly understand kinship care.
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
New! Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Online Support Circle! Starting Wednesday, October 7th, we meet every other Wednesday from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM Eastern.
A peer-first, confidential space—free from cross-talk, judgment, or unsolicited advice. Guided by certified therapists, specialized family coaches, and counselors who truly understand kinship care.
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