Kinship Connections
of Wyoming Blog

Welcome and thank you for joining Kinship Connections of Wyoming!

Kinship Connections of Wyoming is a free program that was implemented to meet the growing needs of grandparents, relatives and other caregivers who are raising children who are not their own. The program was initiated by Wyoming 2-1-1 in partnership with the Wyoming Department of Family Services and the Wyoming Citizen Review Panel. Kinship Connections officially began serving kinship caregivers in December 2019 and since that time the program's Kinship Navigators have had the opportunity to work with over twenty families.

The Kinship Connections of Wyoming blog and newsletter are intended to be here for kinship caregivers and collaborating community resources. We will provide up to date and relevant information regarding upcoming events, important topics, resources, and support. Today and always we welcome your feedback regarding our program or the content we share with you.

We see each of you, we appreciate all you do, and we are a part of your team. We look forward to growing together and serving you in new ways.

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If you would like to learn more about Kinship Connections of Wyoming, you can look through our website or you can reach us by simply dialing 2-1-1 and ask for Kinship Connections. Furthermore, if you know of a family who could benefit from our program you can direct them to simply dial 2-1-1 or you can complete our online referral form. 

Did you know that Kinship Connections of Wyoming offers a monthly newsletters? We would love for you to join our mailing list by imputing your information below. You can also click here to view all our previous letters.  

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October Blog 2022

October 24, 2022

While, talking about our mental health has become more normalized. It is still something many see as a taboo topic. When we...
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September Blog

September 23, 2022

When Lucy wakes up on a crisp fall morning she looks out her window to see leaves falling and notices the orange...
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August Blog

August 17, 2022


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June Blog

June 16, 2022

June is National Trauma awareness month. As we have stated many times, children truly thrive in kinship homes. While the situations that brought children into care are most of the time painful and not at all ideal, being with their family and familiarity is so important. Generations United generated a report regarding the protective role of grandparents and other relatives in raising children exposed to trauma. This is a wonderful resource to professionals and caregivers. Please visit it below: https://www.gu.org/app/uploads/2018/05/Grandfamilies-Report-SOGF-2017.pdf 

Here is a brief story of a caregiver in our program who has taken trauma with her grandsons head on.
In 2019, Cherie took her two grand sons ages 2 and 4 into her home and didn’t think twice about it. The Department of Human Services in Colorado remained involved and Cherie had multiple meetings, requirements and stressors involved with the child welfare system involvement which many caregivers experience. Her grandsons experienced multiple behavioral trauma responses in her home. These included nightmares, potty training regression, physical aggression, and emotional distress on a daily basis. Cherie went through setbacks every time visitation was started and disrupted with the biological parents. Cherie tried her best to create a consistent and safe place for the boys. Cherie has taken so many opportunities to learn and grown. Every training opportunity, educational material, or parenting course Cherie has been given, she has taken and really soaked in the information. She has also closely worked with a Parent Educator at Parents as Teachers. Cherie is thankful for the services KCOW and other programs have given her on her journey. Today they still struggle but know they are safe with their grandmother and can move forward in their journey. Having a consistent caregiver is so important for children not living with their parents. Cherie was that for her grandsons and so many of our caregivers are that for the children in their care. This is not an easy task but it is life changing.
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