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JUDICIAL BENCHCARD

                                     



VIDEO SERIES: VOICES FROM THE FIELD

From Kinship Care to Foster Care: Glenda Wright's Journey and Lessons Learned

Glenda Wright, who spent 14 years in kinship care with her grandmother and subsequently seven years in the Kentucky foster care system, shares her personal experiences and challenges. She discusses the lack of stability, care, and proper nutrition in some foster homes, highlighting the inadequacies of the system. Glenda also reflects on the crucial role played by compassionate judges and attorneys in her life, including opportunities provided by her Guardian ad Litem (GAL). She emphasizes the importance of the Kin First model and urges judges and attorneys to prioritize kinship care, maintain sibling connections, and ensure comprehensive support for foster children, stressing the need for a holistic approach to their care.



The Importance of Family Bonds: A Kinship Caregiver's Perspective

 

Genia Newkirk, a kinship provider for her niece and a hospice chaplain, emphasizes the vital role legal professionals play in supporting kinship relationships due to the familial bonds and stability they offer children. Drawing from her military veteran background and experiences, she advocates for intentional support from legal professionals by assessing and understanding the unique challenges kinship families face. Genia stresses the need for transparency regarding legal options and the importance of a holistic, collaborative approach to developing case plans. Her core message is that supporting kinship providers is an art that requires recognizing families as more than just legal cases, but as units striving to thrive together.

Prioritizing Kinship: Judicial Insights from the Honorable Kathleen Quigley


The Honorable Kathleen Quigley, of the Pima County Superior Court in Tucson, Arizona, shares her extensive experience as a juvenile judge. Drawing from her professional experiences, she emphasizes the importance of maintaining children's connections to family, kin, and culture to mitigate the trauma of removal. Judge Quigley outlines best practices for judges, such as actively engaging family members, asking pertinent questions, and ensuring thorough and continuous efforts to locate and involve kin throughout the case. She highlights the value of kin placements in providing stability, reducing trauma, and achieving quicker permanency for children.

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