Education, Connection, & Support
You didn't plan for this, but you don't have to parent alone
Kinship parenting comes with unique challenges. GRANDfamilies provides education and support designed specifically for caregivers raising children affected by trauma, loss, family disruption, and other difficult experiences.
Meet Chris White
Education & Fidelity Coordinator
Chris White is passionate about helping kinship caregivers build confidence, develop new skills, and feel empowered in their journey. He believes GRANDfamilies should do more than simply help families navigate the immediate challenges of kinship care—we should help them build the tools and support systems they need for the long haul.
Chris often uses the idea of a “KinSHIP” to describe the kinship journey. When a ship is sinking, you can bail out the water, but if you don't patch the holes, the ship will continue sinking. GRANDfamilies helps families to bail out their ships (access donations, apply for financial assistance, and complete court paperwork). But we also provide families the resources necessary to patch the holes in their ships through helping families increase their knowledge, build confidence, forge connections, and find support that helps families stay strong long after they first reach out for help.
Through education, support groups, and meaningful connections with other caregivers, Chris is committed to helping families move from simply getting through the next challenge to feeling confident in their ability to navigate the journey ahead.
Psychoeducation
GRANDfamilies has developed a 10-week curriculum specifically tailored to the needs of kinship caregivers. With almost 25 years of direct experience working with kinship families in Utah, GRANDfamilies has identified the most common challenges faced by relative caregivers. These psychoeducational classes, led by our experienced family advocates and co-facilitated by kinship caregivers from our Caregiver Advisory Board, offer valuable information and resources in a supportive group setting. The program not only provides practical guidance but also fosters a sense of community and peer support for caregivers navigating the complexities of raising relative children.
Adolescent and children’s groups are held simultaneously in separate rooms, ensuring that every family member receives support and can connect with others in similar situations. This approach allows the entire family to feel included and part of a shared community experience.
Informal Support Groups
A place to connect, share, and learn from people who understand
Every Thursday from 10:00–11:00 a.m., kinship caregivers from across Utah are invited to join our virtual support group. Because the group is online, caregivers can connect with others from different communities and counties without having to travel.
There is no long-term commitment—join whenever you’re available. Caregivers can attend the weeks that work for their schedules and still feel welcome when they return.
Topics are shaped by the caregivers who participate, based on the questions, experiences, and needs they bring to the group. GRANDfamilies also collaborates with community partners to bring in different perspectives, resources, and areas of expertise.
Most importantly, this is a comfortable, laid-back space where caregivers can ask questions, share experiences, listen, or simply be present. Everyone is welcome, and every voice matters.
We will occasionally save recordings of guest presentations from these groups that can be shared with those who miss due to scheduling conflicts but would like to review the information.
Register here for the Informal Support Groups
Botvin Lifeskills
Building skills today to support healthier choices tomorrow
Children and youth in kinship care may experience a greater number of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) because of the circumstances that led to them being raised by relatives or other kin. Experiences such as family separation, instability, loss, trauma, or exposure to substance use can increase a young person’s risk for substance use and other challenging behaviors and outcomes.
That’s why GRANDfamilies offers Botvin LifeSkills, an evidence-based program designed to give youth practical tools for navigating these challenges and building resilience. Youth learn skills related to decision-making and making healthy choices.
We also offer a separate LifeSkills class for caregivers, recognizing that caregivers play an important role in helping youth develop and practice these skills at home. Caregivers gain tools and strategies to support healthy decision-making, strengthen communication, and create an environment where young people can build confidence and resilience.
Our goal isn't simply to help youth avoid negative outcomes—it’s to equip young people and the caregivers supporting them with skills that strengthen families for the long term.
Reach out to your local family advocate to learn more and register
Grief & Loss Support Groups
Grief in kinship families can take many forms
When we think about grief, we often think about the death of someone we love. But for kinship families, loss can be much more complicated. A child may be grieving a parent who is still alive but no longer physically or emotionally present in their life. A caregiver may be grieving the family life they imagined, the role they expected to have, or the future they thought their family would experience.
At GRANDfamilies, we recognize this as ambiguous loss—a type of loss that doesn't always have a clear ending or the opportunity for closure. Families may experience loss when:
- A parent or family member is physically or emotionally unavailable
- Children are separated from parents, siblings, or other loved ones
- Caregivers' expectations for their future or retirement suddenly change
- Family roles and relationships change
- Friendships and social connections are lost or become more difficult to maintain
- Children experience changes in their home, school, routines, or sense of stability
- Families grieve the life they thought they would have
These losses are real, even when the person or relationship hasn't completely disappeared.
Walking Through Loss Together
GRANDfamilies partners with Caring Connections at the University of Utah to provide grief and loss support specifically designed with the unique experiences of kinship families in mind. We have Family Advocates who are trained to facilitate Grief & Loss groups, creating a safe and supportive environment where caregivers can talk openly about the losses they have experienced.
These groups aren't about “getting over” loss. They are about recognizing it, understanding how it affects us, and finding healthy ways to move forward while carrying the relationships, experiences, and changes that have shaped our families.
Caregivers have the opportunity to connect with others who understand that grief doesn't always look like a funeral, and that sometimes the hardest losses are the ones that don't have a clear ending.
You don't have to have lost someone to death to be grieving. Your loss matters, and you don't have to navigate it alone.
If you are interested in a grief and loss group, please reach out to
