Madison is now 19 months old and in Grant s care.
This makes Grant what is now commonly known as a kinship guardian or kinship caregiver. These people are relatives, mostly grandparents, who are dusting off their parenting skills to raise children whose parents are struggling with a substance use disorder, or other trauma, or who have died. Often, these people stepping up are doing it blindly, not finding resources to help, or even knowing where to start looking. I live in Farmington and have a camp in Rochester, Grant said. My son and his girlfriend were living there. I raised three boys and the camp was always available to each if they needed a place to stay. I knew right away I would take Madison.