Kathy Coleman's journey raising her grandchildren began in 2001 when her granddaughter Anna came to live with her. Then in 2016, Anna’s five siblings came to live with them as well. The personal struggles Kathy has faced raising her grandchildren have shaped her work. She has been adamant about seeking out resources and connecting people to raise awareness about the issues grandfamilies face. Challenges included financial and emotional challenges, working with the children’s schools, and accessing medical providers. She received little to no help from supportive services but had many ideas of what would have been helpful. It would have been useful to have access to legal services because she spent over $57,000 on the grandchildren to make sure they were safe and well cared for. She also thought it would be helpful if grandparent caregivers were recognized similarly to foster parents and got the same support without having the children placed in state custody.
Despite the lack of support in these areas, there has been progress. Louisiana’s state legislature recently recognized these needs and supported the proposition to have equal stipend support for foster parents and grandparent caregivers thanks to part of Kathy’s advocacy work.
Kathy has worked with Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Information Center of Louisiana for more than twelve years and has served on the board and as CEO for the last seven of them. Their group works closely with their Senators, the Governor’s Office, and with the Department of Children and Family Services.
Kathy also serves on various boards including the Grandparents raising Grandchildren Governor’ s Advisory Council where she is Vice Chair, DCFS, Inter Civic Council board member, United Health Care Council, EBR Council on Aging, and was elected to Governors Children Cabinet that try to make a difference in the lives of grandfamilies. Her oldest granddaughter who was adopted at 18, is now a junior in college at LSU studying Veterinary medicine, doing well in school, and often helps with Kathy’s Grandparents Raising Grandchildren organization. The other children are doing well, but after 3 years in Kathy’s care, are still facing uncertainties with custody and have been back and forth in Kathy’s care from 2019-2020.
In the end, her personal mission is to raise her grandchildren the best she can by offering them the most she can and to help any other families facing these issues. She wants what is best for both her children and grandchildren and will continue to fight and advocate to get what they and other grandfamilies deserve.
