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More than 40,000 Idaho families take on unexpected role as kinship caregivers

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When parents can no longer care for their kids, someone has to step in. In Idaho, that’s often a relative, like grandparents, an aunt, or an uncle or even a close family friend.

These people are known as kinship caregivers, and here in the Gem State, there are more than 40,000 families like this.

It's a role many never expected to take on, and it comes with its own difficulties, which is why support and resources are so crucial. Sheila Weaver, program manager with the Idaho Caregiver Alliance, joined Idaho Matters to tell us more about the realities of caregiving.

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Hannah Gardoski was the Idaho Matters Assistant Producer from 2022-2026.