Meet Bobby and Cindy

Bobby and his wife, Cindy, adopted their son more than a decade ago. Once he became an adult, he had a child of his own. Unfortunately, he struggled to care for her, so Bobby and Cindy stepped in to help.

"Our son ended up having one of his own that he wasn't really able to take care of, so we started fostering her, our granddaughter, and we ended up adopting her," said Cindy.

Cindy was also in foster care as a child and ended up being adopted by a loving family. The experience taught her the importance of looking out for family and taking care of others. "That's kind of why we started fostering," said Cindy. "I felt that I would be a good support for a child that we would adopt."

So, when they received a call to provide Kinship Care for their granddaughter, the answer was easy. "They could have called anyone, any family member," said Bobby. "But we got the call and we know we are going to be able to give her that childhood and provide a brighter future."

Both Bobby and Cindy credit Family Services of NW PA and their caseworker, Amanda, with helping make the transition as smooth as possible. "The people are just wonderful and that's really what you're looking for is that connection," said Bobby. "This experience has a lot of ups and downs." Cindy added,  "Amanda was kind of the go between for a little while. She really advocated for us."

Bobby admits that the experience can be scary. "The child of someone you love, you're trying to make sure that child is safe, but you're trying to see your loved ones go on a better path," he said. "But you're going to be supported the whole way through and you're going to bless the children who need that stability and safety."