Policy & Practice | Spring 2025

the human in human services

By Keith Lowhorne and Ali Caliendo

Foster Kinship and Grandparents as Parents Partner to Expand Kinship Navigator Support in Alabama

I n December 2013, my wife Edie and I rushed to the hospital for the birth of our fourth grandchild, Kyren—a moment that marked the beginning of a long, painful journey. Kyren faced serious medical challenges at birth and was diagnosed with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. Over the next few years, Kyren suffered neglect and abuse at home, but despite our reports and appeals to authorities, nothing changed. In 2016, when another grand child, Harper, was born under similar conditions, the situation shifted—tem porary custody was granted to us, and eventually, we adopted both children. It was a difficult road marked by love, loss, and resilience, but in the end, we became the permanent guardians of two children we already considered our own. I retired after 43 years in broadcast news, expecting to travel the world with Edie. Instead, we are raising two young children. We had no support, no guidance, and we knew others must be struggling too. Then, the pandemic hit. Our phones started ringing—it was grandparents raising grandchildren, desperate for food. I reached out to many of the contacts I had made in my long career. A nonprofit stepped up, allowing us to distribute food. It started small, in our driveway—25 families, then more. Complaints came in, but the president of the homeowners’ association, raised by his grandparents, stood by us. Over time, Grandparents as Parents (GAP) has distributed more than 130 tons of food, clothing, school supplies,

miracle. I took notes, asked questions before, during, and after each session. A friendship was quickly formed. We returned to Alabama, determined to replicate the Foster Kinship model— but it was an uphill battle. I spoke at churches, parent–teacher association meetings, and community events. Hands always went up when asked if they knew someone raising a relative’s child. We formed an official nonprofit—Grandparents as Parents (GAP)—with a board of directors, including foster and kinship care givers, along with others not usually in this space, but who bring great value and perspective. We continued moving forward with our mission supporting grandparents raising grandchildren. We tapped national partners like

and more. GAP launched “Christmas for Kin,” fulfilling more than 1,200 children’s wish lists. Edie would get Christmas lists from the grandparents, then find donors who agreed to buy exactly what’s on the list. Waking up on Christmas morning with kids finding exactly what they wanted proved that Christmas miracles do happen—grandparents can be heroes. In 2018, Edie and I attended a con ference, leaving our grandchildren for the first time. There, I met Dr. Ali Caliendo, the Executive Director of Foster Kinship. The nonprofit’s “one stop-shop” model for kinship care in Nevada was the answer our com munity needed to grow and sustain support for grandparents raising grandchildren. To me, it was another

Illustration by Chris Campbell

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Policy & Practice Spring 2025