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We are kicking off Summer with the D.C. Council officially declaring September 2025 as Kinship Care Month—a meaningful recognition of the vital role of D.C.’s kinship families. And that’s just one of many updates we’re excited to share – from securing major grants and expanding our work, publishing our 2025 Resource Guide and FY 2024 Annual Impact Report, to growing and celebrating our Community Board and incredible kinship families.
Also, be sure to save-the-date for our 2025 Annual Benefit, which will be held on October 29 at the District Winery!
Please continue to champion our work, share our mission, and forward this newsletter to your colleagues, friends, and family members. With your support, we are building a city where every child can grow up in a safe, stable, and loving home.
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Celebrating Collective Impact: 2025 Many Hands Impact Grant Recipient!
Many Hands DC awarded DC KinCare Alliance (DCKC) its $100,000 Impact Grant. This support will expand access to free legal help, vital resources, and dedicated advocacy for the relatives who step up when children need them most.
Thank you, Many Hands DC, for believing in the strength of kinship care. With your support, we are building a stronger, more just D.C. where every child can grow up in a safe, stable, and loving home.
| | IMPACT AND RESOURCES NEWS | | |
Just Released: Our FY 2024 Annual Impact Report
We’re excited to share our FY 2024 Annual Impact Report, packed with powerful stories and milestones from the past year. You'll read about real impact, like Ms. J.’s journey to motherhood. After stepping up to care for a baby abandoned at birth, Ms. J. wanted to adopt him. DC KinCare Alliance attorneys, together with our law firm partner Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, helped her do just that. Her story, and many others, show how legal advocacy, policy change, and strong support can transform lives.
Inside, you'll find more client stories, community voices, financial highlights, and a look at what fuels our mission
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Our 2025 Relative Caregiver Resource Guide Is Here!
The annually updated Resource Guide is now available!
This essential tool offers clear, accessible information for relative caregivers raising D.C. children to understand their legal and financial options—whether they are pursuing custody, adoption, subsidies, or simply trying to navigate next steps.
If you or someone you know is caring for a relative child in the D.C. area, this Guide is for you.
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Meet Our New Community Board Leadership!
We are excited to introduce the newly elected leaders of our DC KinCare Community Board! These inspiring caregivers bring lived experience, deep commitment, and powerful advocacy to our mission. Their leadership will guide our work as we continue supporting DC’s relative caregivers, ensuring families have access to the stability, resources, and justice they deserve.
Meet our new leadership team:
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Stacey Brown and Kimberly Holmes, Co-Presidents – Longtime kinship caregivers and strong advocates, leading our board with commitment and care.
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Christy Webster, Community Liaison – A grandmother and educator who understands the triumphs and struggles of kinship care.
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Donte Massey, Advocacy Leader – A strong voice for equity and a tireless advocate for change in systems that impact kinship families like his.
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Marcia Moore, Secretary – A dedicated kinship caregiver supporting the voice and work of the Community Board.
Let’s celebrate this exciting new chapter of caregiver-led leadership!
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Kinship Family Celebration
Each year, we host our Kinship Family Celebration to honor the incredible relatives who step in to care for children when their parents cannot. It's a day filled with connection, great food, fun activities, and a deep appreciation for the families at the heart of our work.
This year, we gathered at Oxon Hill Farm for a great afternoon of community and joy. The strength, love, and commitment of our caregivers continue to inspire us every day.
Thank you to everyone who came out and made this celebration so special!
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DCKC Featured in The Washington Informer
In honor of Mother’s Day, The Washington Informer highlighted how DC KinCare Alliance is helping kinship caregivers, often grandmothers, godmothers, and aunts, navigate complex legal systems and access the support they need.
The article spotlights our advocacy, legal services, and the lived experiences of caregivers who step in when families are in crisis. It’s a powerful exploration of the profound impact of kinship care in D.C.
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PROJECT STAY
Earlier this year, we launched PROJECT STAY to help immigrant parents at risk of deportation complete legal documents for their children to stay in the United States with trusted relatives or friends.
Thanks to your support and that of the Meyer Foundation, we conducted four informational sessions with our immigrant community partners, two legal training sessions for our law firm partners, and two legal clinics for parents and caregivers in the community. We are currently connecting with our immigrant community partners to review our work to date and chart the best path forward during this critical time.
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We know that real support for D.C.’s kinship caregivers means more than just providing services. It also means changing the systems that affect their lives. That’s why advocacy is a core part of our mission. By lifting up the voices of kinship caregivers before the D.C. Council, we are making sure that kinship families have access to the resources they deserve.
So far this year, DC KinCare Alliance and members of our Community Board testified at five hearings before the D.C. Council on key issues, including child welfare, caregiver subsidies, access to public benefits, and funding legal services.
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September Is Now Officially Kinship Care Month in D.C.!
We’re proud to share that the D.C. Council officially declared September 2025 as Kinship Care Month, thanks to a ceremonial resolution introduced by Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker, who chairs the Committee on Youth Affairs. Our team worked closely with his office to help make this recognition a reality. We also want to thank all the co-sponsors of the resolution: Chairman Phil Mendelson and Councilmembers Anita Bonds, Brianne K. Nadeau, Matthew Frumin, Kenyan R. McDuffie, Charles Allen, and Robert C. White, Jr.
This kind of public recognition matters. It brings visibility to the vital role of kinship caregivers and helps build momentum for the policy changes and support systems our families need to thrive.
Stay tuned. We’ll be sharing more soon about how we’ll be celebrating Kinship Care Month this September!
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October: Save the Date for our 2025 Annual Benefit
Mark your calendars for October 29, 2025 to celebrate at our Annual Benefit, which will be held at the District Winery! We hope you’ll join us for an inspiring evening filled with connection and purpose.
📅 Stay tuned to our emails, social media, and website for registration details and more updates!
| | Behind every story, every headline, and every milestone is a caregiver fighting to keep their family whole. Together, we can continue to show up for D.C. ‘s caregivers by providing essential legal help, advocating for meaningful policy change, and nurturing and supporting the community as a whole. | | | | |
