Celebrating more than 60,000 Kinship Caregivers in Indiana

Twins Jada and Jaden are being raised by their grandmother, Anita, who is part of our Family Connection Program at The Villages.

Dear Friend of Children,

All of us at The Villages love sharing stories about dedicated foster families and the special children in their care. SEPTEMBER is NATIONAL KINSHIP CARE MONTH, so The Villages wants to give an enormous “shout out” to the more than 60,000 grandparents and kinship caregivers throughout Indiana who are raising their grandchildren or kin children and literally parenting the “second time around!”

Thanks to a generous grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, The Villages was honored to establish the FAMILY CONNECTION NETWORK in 2002. Over 17 years later it is still SERVING and SUPPORTING the selfless caregivers who have completely reordered their lives to guide, nurture, parent and invest in the children who have often, with no notice whatsoever, become theirs to raise.

MISS ANITA recently adopted twins JADA and JADEN who bring to 16 the number of relative children she has nurtured! SHARVONNE is raising her younger brother … sacrificing her personal life goals to “be there” for him.

Whether it is because a child’s biological parents are incarcerated, have passed away, or are battling an addiction, these children desperately hunger for and need a family circle in which to grow and flourish! The FAMILY CONNECTION NETWORK helps their caregivers graciously STAND IN THE GAP and connect with others who are a part of the “journey” that is kinship care.

Each of us has a grandparent, an aunt or uncle, or a “family of the heart” member who was there for us as we grew up. But these caregivers are raising the children who need them 24 hours a day … seven days a week … year after year!

YOUR generous support of The Villages including sending diapers for #DIAPERDAY, purchasing tickets so a kinship family can savor a night at Victory Field or participating in our Annual Chopper Drop Fore Kids, assures that THE VILLAGES can “be there” for the kinship families with whom we are privileged to partner!

THANK YOU for YOUR SUPPORT! And KINSHIP CAREGIVERS, we SALUTE and THANK YOU … not just in September, but EVERY month!

Gratefully,