Lynn began her kinship journey when she learned of a granddaughter living in perilous circumstances. She and her husband, Lars, decided to petition for non-parental custody, which was granted in 2004. After seven years, the child's parents agreed to let the grandparents adopt their child, and in December 2011 they adopted her. During these years the family attended a Kinship Support Group offered by Family Education and Support Services. At these meetings children being raised by relatives played together while Lars and Lynn made new friends and learned more about the kinship community. At one of these meetings, Lynn heard that the Kinship Navigator was leaving her job, and she set her sights on taking her place. She knows that her grandchild led her to a job that she loved.
Lynn Urvina retired in 2022 after serving as a Washington State Kinship Navigator for 14 years. She moved to Ocean Shores, Washington where she continues to advocate for Kinship supports.
Lynn is an original member of the Generations United GRAND Network and enjoys meeting and learning from kinship advocates from across the nation and occasionally from other parts of the world. Family Education and Support Services Kinship Program won the 2015 Grandfamilies Award, presented at that year's Intergenerational Conference in Hawaii. In 2018, Lynn was the Kinship Caregiver recipient of the Casey Excellence for Children Award in recognition for her efforts on behalf of kinship families. Lynn currently serves on the Washington State Kinship Advisory Committee, is a member of the Foster Club Lived Experience Advisory Board and is actively advocating for supports for kinship families in her state and nationally. This includes testifying at legislative hearings and explaining to policy makers why kinship families need their support. Lynn believes her own experiences raising a granddaughter who is now her legal daughter help her to better understand kinship families and empowers her to advocate on their behalf.
