Episodes

Too often, grandparents and kinship caregivers are handed life-changing responsibility with little warning, legal clarity, or support—quietly absorbing the weight of the child welfare system at their kitchen tables. In this episode, we move beyond mere survival, highlighting how kin caregivers are stepping into leadership, building peer networks, and mobilizing for policy reform that makes children and caregivers visible and supported. Join us for a grounded, hope-infused look at hidden foster c...

Are you a grandparent watching your grandchild spiral after a bad grade, wondering how to lift the heaviness of trauma without passing on your own survival anxieties? Do you recognize yourself in the urge to fix, micromanage, or praise only perfect outcomes—while quietly wishing for deeper connection and resilience in your home? I’m Laura Brazan, and I know what it’s like to see a child caught between perfectionism and complete shutdown, especially in kinship care. The old rules—pushing harde...

Dr. Janet Rosenzweig reminds us that the kitchen table is not a hiding place—it’s your boardroom. Grandparents and kin caregivers are not just enduring the fallout of a broken system; you are the frontline, demanding justice, resources, and lasting change for your families. The days of surviving in silence are finished. This episode arms you with real-world strategies, radically honest language, and a call to challenge every system that fails our kids. Dr. Janet Rosenzweig, a nationally recog...

Are you a grandparent raising a neurodivergent grandchild, feeling both proud and anxious as high school graduation approaches? Have you spent years protecting them, only to realize that the transition to college is a daunting cliff, stripping away the legal protections and daily support they’ve relied on? Does the idea of sending them into a maze of unfamiliar systems, forced to self-advocate overnight, fill you with dread and uncertainty? Dr. Tara Williams tells us how to proactively prepare. ...

Are you a grandparent who finds yourself thrust into parenting once more, often on short notice and without a clear roadmap? Do you wake up exhausted, tending to children who have walked through trauma, while your own dreams and routines fade into the background? Are you longing for steadiness amid the emotional storms—conflicts, diagnoses, behavioral challenges—that seem to erupt daily in your household? The strain of kinship caregiving, coupled with personal loss or change, can feel endless an...

Are you a grandparent who suddenly became the anchor for your grandchildren’s future, feeling as if your living room has transformed overnight into a command center? Are you buried under legal forms, switching between crisis management and nurturing, and wondering if anyone sees the full scope of what you’re carrying? The reality of kinship care can feel like running a multi-department enterprise in the dark, all while holding together the threads of family. Eleven years ago, Dr. Kristy Smith a...

Are you a grandparent or kinship caregiver, shouldering the immense responsibility of raising children scarred by trauma? Do you often feel overwhelmed, running on empty to shield your grandchildren from the cracks in a broken system? Are you chasing after the elusive standard of being the “perfect” caregiver, all while quietly questioning if you’re doing enough—or if your exhaustion and frustration make you a bad guardian? I’m Laura Brazan, and on 'Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing...

Do you ever feel unseen as a grandparent or relative raising grandchildren—overlooked by the very systems meant to protect children? Have you discovered, the hard way, that the so-called “support” for kinship caregivers is riddled with gaps, bureaucracy, and outdated ideas? Are you constantly told that “family is enough,” even as you struggle for resources, support, and answers about trauma your grandchild has faced? The silence you endure, the love you give, and the hardship you shoulder—these ...

Are you a grandparent or kin stepping into the role of caregiver, feeling overwhelmed by systems that seem designed to ignore your voice? Do you find yourself battling not just sleepless nights and bureaucratic tangles, but also the invisible weight of holding your family together—often without recognition, adequate support, or resources? If you’ve ever felt like a hidden statistic in a caseworker’s file, burning through savings and hope to rescue the next generation, this space is for you. Aft...

Do you ever feel lost in the maze of court dates, school meetings, and sleepless nights, forced into a role you never expected? Are you a grandparent who has become the last line of defense for your family, while the system treats your love and sacrifice as just another case number? Maybe you find yourself grieving not just the loss of a peaceful retirement, but the heartbreak of watching your own child struggle, all while building a new life for your grandchildren. I’m Laura, and like you, my ...

Jennifer Brunton, is an autistic mother and grandmother, and primary caregiver to two brilliant, intense, neurodivergent toddlers. Her projects encompass books, talks (including Keynotes), thought leadership and other articles, and consulting. She is coauthor of The #ActuallyAutistic Guide to Advocacy. She's worked as a writer and editor at Forbes, Random House, Mirabella, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, as well as for a range of individual, corporate, and academic clients. Are you a grandparent na...

This episode highlights issues concerning rural kinship care. Are you a grandparent stepping into the role of raising grandchildren, questioning how to build a sanctuary out of chaos—especially when trauma lingers in your family’s story? Do legal barriers, relentless exhaustion, or the stigma of addiction leave you feeling stranded, yearning for guidance grounded in real science rather than just willpower? If you’ve ever wished you could pause the world for a moment of rest or clarity, you are n...

Have you ever felt like the system is writing the ending of your grandchild’s story before they’ve even found their voice? Are your grandchildren weighed down by labels—traumatized, behind, abnormal—while you’re expected to manage their pain and follow rigid rules? If you’ve ever felt powerless to change the narrative or wished you could help your grandchild reclaim their identity from the case files, this episode is for you. I’m Laura Brazan, and after my own family was reshaped by adversity, ...

Have you ever wondered whether your grandchild’s emotional outbursts, hyperactivity, or inability to focus are really the result of past trauma—or if something deeper might be at play in their bodies? Are you overwhelmed trying to balance household expenses, legal paperwork, and your own health, all while struggling to understand why traditional therapies just aren’t working? As a grandparent raising grandchildren in today’s world, it can feel like you’re carrying an invisible load, searching fo...

Have you ever been told that your golden years should be about rest, only to find yourself back in the world of school runs, sports practices, and sleepless nights? Are you a grandparent raising your grandchildren, wrestling with exhaustion and identity loss, while quietly wondering if you’ll ever reclaim a piece of yourself? You may be feeling the heavy weight of duty, but beneath the surface, there’s a quieter transformation happening—kinship caregiver benefits. I’m Laura, and on this episo...

In this powerful episode, we dive into the deeply complex and often overlooked intersection of Eating Disorders and Kinship Caregiver Health. Grandparents raising grandchildren frequently navigate the profound impact of childhood trauma, which can manifest in children as severe disruptions to eating behaviors and emotional regulation. However, the toll isn't just felt by the youth; the immense stress of caregiving can drastically impact a grandparent's physical and mental well-being as well. Join us as we explore the underlying trauma responses driving eating disorders in kinship families, discuss practical strategies for creating a healing home environment, and offer vital advice on how relative caregivers can protect their own health while doing this vital heart-work.

Are you a grandparent raising grandchildren, carrying the silent weight of anger, resentment, or shame from a family crisis? Have you been told to “just forgive” but found that advice hollow, leaving you alone with pain that keeps resurfacing? Does your anger feel like a protective shield—yet you secretly yearn for true relief, clearer connection, and more energy to nurture those in your care? In this space, we explore the deep, messy, and necessary journey of forgiveness for kinship caregivers—...

Are you a grandparent thrust unexpectedly into raising your grandchildren, feeling the relentless drizzle of exhaustion and caregiver burnout, even as you keep your family afloat? Do you sometimes find yourself trapped in a loop of irritation or resentment, questioning if joy is even possible on this journey? You are not alone. What if I told you that you don't have to raise your grandchildren? What if I told you that every dish in your sink and every mile you drive to school is a choice, not...

Does bedtime feel less like a cozy ritual and more like crossing a battlefield filled with tears, anxiety, and wakeful shadows? Are you a grandparent tirelessly nurturing grandchildren scarred by trauma, craving not just peace at the end of the day, but real tools to foster resilience? Perhaps you recognize yourself in those moments—the digital quick fixes, the fear of changing routines, the exhaustion weighing down your resolve—wondering if traditional sleep training for trauma is the answer, o...

Do you ever wonder how to truly connect with a teen who’s pushing you away, when every word feels like it could spark a door-slam or an icy silence? Are you a grandparent navigating the dizzying maze of parenting teens in kinship care—grappling with the fear that trauma might repeat itself, and unsure how to bridge the gap as your grandchild grows into adolescence? When “I love you” turns to eye rolls and “goodnight” is answered by a closed door, it’s easy to feel like an outsider in your own ho...

Are you a grandparent fighting the legal system, drowning in red tape, and wondering if the finish line of adopting your grandchild will ever come? Have you sat through courtrooms hoping to be heard, worried for your grandchild’s safety, and navigating a system that seems to mistake your love for inconvenience? Do you long for the day you can finally just parent—no more last-minute visits or home inspections, no more lingering uncertainty? I’m Laura Brazan, and I know how heavy the “club sand...

Are you a grandparent thrust into the role of primary caregiver, managing the relentless stress, marriage challenges, and behavioral transitions that come with grandparents raising grandchildren? Do you wonder how to move from surviving daily crises to building a sanctuary in your home—one where healing and hope are possible for both you and your grandchildren? Has your retirement story taken an unexpected detour, leaving you to mourn lost dreams while navigating the high-stakes world of kinship...

Are you a grandparent, caregiver, or child impacted by generational trauma? Do you wrestle with questions of connection, healing, and the breaking generational trauma? Are you searching for authentic guidance to rewrite your family’s future after abuse or neglect? I’m Laura Brazan, and in this episode of 'Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing Through Adversity,' we confront the realities of trauma and healing. Our guest, therapist and author Johnzelle Anderson, shares his powerful sto...

Are you a grandparents raising grandchildren who finds yourself stepping back into the exhausting world of parenting, unexpectedly raising your grandchildren in the wake of family upheaval? Do you ever mourn the peaceful retirement you imagined, longing for slow mornings and carefree days, only to wake up facing a mountain of responsibilities you didn't choose? Does the gap between the life you hoped for and the reality you’re living sometimes feel like a weight you carry in solitude? I’m Lau...