Supporting Families in Need
High Country Caregivers By Pan McCaslin
“It takes a village to raise a child”— words attributed to Maya Angelou who spoke of the love and support by her grandmother who stepped in to provide a safe, caring environment for Maya at a time when her own parents were not able to care for her due to their own life circumstances. Throughout history, grandparents and other relatives have served as mentors, nurturers and support to parents and grandchildren. Yet, as the stresses of society and family life have increased, along with substance abuse and mental health issues, grandparents are frequently becoming caregivers, or even guardians to their own grandchildren.
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s of March 2021, in North Carolina alone, there are 237,976 children living in homes where a relative (other than a parent) is head of household and over 85,000 grandparents that are responsible for their grandchildren. “Yes, these are our current statistics for North Carolina. And these grandparents often have limited resources and are given no financial or educational support once they take on any children. That is when High Country Caregivers steps in,” shared Marty Wilson, Program Director. A stand-alone, not for profit organization founded in 2006 to provide advocacy, support and education for kinship caregivers (a term used to describe any relative assisting with raising a family member), High Country Caregivers serves families
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in six counties—Watauga, Ashe, Avery, Yancey, Wilkes and Mitchell. Jacob Willis, Executive Director of the organization since 2019, states that the work of staff and volunteers supports the Kinship Navigation Model. “We empower kinship caregivers to raise their children/ grandchildren in a safe, stable, and loving environment, recognizing the need for a multi-dimensional program.” The Navigation Model includes community education, financial support for health-conscious youth activities and counseling support. Crisis funds for families who have exhausted their ability to meet basic needs are utilized to support the families while other community resources are accessed. Unexpectedly becoming a kinship caregiver for a grandchild can be overwhelming. Staff and volunteers from High Country Caregivers assess each family’s needs, helping the kinship caregiver with navigating the school systems, addressing legal issues, and obtaining necessary medical care for the grandchildren. Pisgah Legal Services offers pro-bono representation to families in Avery, Mitchell and Yancey counties. High Country Caregivers also partners with Rivenbark and Brooks, attorneys at law, for families in Watauga, Wilkes, and Ashe counties or for those who do not qualify for Pisgah Legal Services assistance. “We could not provide for our families’ unexpected legal needs without the generosity of the legal communities with which we work,” shared Willis. Current research highlights the effects
of early childhood trauma; therefore, one aspect of the Navigation Model addresses the counseling needs of the children who may be dealing with trauma, behavior issues or other mental health concerns. Funding for some legal fees and counseling are available. One aspect of improving mental health and trust issues for children is by supporting health-conscious youth activities. “Each family has an individualized needs assessment and plan of care. Financial support is given to kinship care families for activities which target the talents and interests of the children,” shared Wilson. “We have provided funding for piano lessons, recreation fees for camps, band instruments, educational field trips, prom dresses or tuxedos, karate lessons, and dance classes just to name a few. We want to help ensure improved self-esteem and relationship building. We want to give the kids a new perspective on their world and their own unlimited possibilities.” The individualized plans of care for the families also focus on the needs of the kinship caregiver who may have stepped in at a moment’s notice when their families needed help. Becoming a kinship caregiver brings a unique stress of its own. Many of the caregivers are older, have already raised one family, and have health issues of their own. “We provide several forms of education and support for our kinship caregivers,” reported Willis. Creating a Family curriculum, evidence-based and to be offered
