Adams County Celebrates Kinship Care Month

This Kinship Care Month Adams County is recognizing an outstanding kinship caregiver, caseworker and community partner for all they do to support youth in foster care and kinship caregivers. 

Kinship Caregiver

Marjorie Lane is a single grandmother who took on four children between the ages of five and fifteen. Marjorie is not Native American, but she works closely with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) to ensure the children have all opportunities to explore their Native American culture. Marjorie goes above and beyond to provide for her grandchildren by exposing them to sports, camps, and other activities and events. She recently took the children to Florida to visit the beach for the first time. Marjorie’s home is set up as a classroom for the children to do homework and practice their creativity- the walls are covered with the children’s artwork and projects. 

Marjorie will make time for in her busy schedule for every opportunity and training that is offered because she wants the best for the children. She was a participant in the Raise the Future grandparent’s session and has attended equine therapy. 

Marjorie is bonded with the children and ensures family connection. She has a wonderful relationship with the foster home who has placement of the girl’s youngest baby brother, and they provide respite care for one another and invite each other to major events and celebrations. It is evident that Marjorie will always put the children’s needs above all and is an advocate who gives them a voice.

Caseworker 

Adriana Cassibais the primary caseworker of a very difficult case in which children were placed with a grandma, moved to foster care, placed back with grandma, and unfortunately back to foster care. Adriana did exemplary work connecting community resources, trying to get housing assistance, and doing frequent home visits to check on the kids and the grandmother. This is a very nuanced case with difficult decisions and emotions, and she worked closely with the family and kinship caseworker to ensure safety and thoughtfulness in every decision. Adrianna worked tirelessly to keep kids with their grandmother when all of the cards were stacked against them. The grandmother had significant struggles with housing and financial instability. Adriana researched multiple options, communicated with the kinship worker and the Guadian ad Litem (GAL) regularly and connected her with a Life Skills worker. Adriana spent countless hours and maintained almost daily contact with the kin provider to try to maintain the placement. Adriana’s dedication to the case and advocacy for this grandparent was exemplary. 

Community Partner 

Foster Source is always willing to go above and beyond to assist foster and kinship families and their philosophy of empowerment is exactly what our families need. On many occasions, they have been great in helping me out. They have therapy services that I have been able to get my family referred to. They also help with respite if the family ever needs this. They are always in high spirits and willing to help our families. 

Foster Source works with me on my cases and will offer alternative items if they do not have what we are looking for. I know I can always count on them as they will do what they can to make things right if anything from the items is missing. They are always willing to go the extra mile to give our families needed items. Foster Source has helped out every single one of my kin families. When I first get assigned a kinship home and after an initial assessment is made, one of my first calls is to Foster Source. They are the backbone of this community and I could not thank them enough for the countless items they have helped our kin families get. Foster Source is always willing to go above and beyond to support families and caseworkers. They are communicative, responsive, and always ready to support families.