Step Up Parents was formed to offer financial assistance and support to relative caregivers who have selflessly stepped up to care for children whose biological parents struggle with substance use disorder. Our efforts are focused in the state of New Hampshire and Southern Maine.
Step Up Parents launched in 2019, inspired by close personal friends of our founder who were raising their granddaughter while caring for their daughter who struggled with substance use disorder. Their daily emotional and financial challenges were daunting, and there seemed to be little in the way of available resources. They were not alone in their struggles.
What began as a call to action to help one New Hampshire family is now a safety net for kinship caregivers throughout the state. Step Up Parents is dedicated to supporting and honoring these everyday heroes, preserving their dignity and stability, and responding to their families’ immediate needs.
In addition to taking on parenting again later in life, kinship caregivers have suffered the devastating effects of substance use disorders with their own child or relative. Sadly, in many instances, this has lead to his/her premature death. Besides the enormous commitment and responsibility, the most immediate need for these caregivers is often financial. In most cases, available state and federal aid is not enough, especially for those grandparents and relatives who have taken in these children outside the framework of the foster care system.
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Step Up Parents relies solely on donations and fundraising to assist these families. Through a comprehensive financial aid screening process, we respond to each family’s individual needs, whether it is aid with the cost of daycare, clothing, baby supplies, music lessons, legal fees or maybe a special camp for a struggling child.
