DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Joycelyn Davis does her best to keep her house in order, even if it means taking on other roles around the house. For six years now, this grandmother has been a mother to her three grandchildren.
"My daughter fell on hard times, and she wasn't able to take care of them," Davis said. "You want to be the kind of grandparent that my grandmother was to me. It hasn’t been easy because the children were affected mentally, all three of them. It’s been a journey, and I can only give the credit of being able to do it from the grace of God.”
Davis said her oldest grandchild recently turned 18, so she's now without a $800 stipend to raise her. Davis solely relies on social security to make ends meet for herself and her family.
"That's a substantial amount of money for a family to lose like that. But that's just the way the system is," Davis said. “I don’t mind the point of taking care of them, but as a grandparent, I never thought I’d have to do it that way.”
Rainie Jueschke and the nonprofit Innovative Solutions for Disadvantage and Disability have worked with Davis and other kinship families to offer them support and avoid the state's foster care system.
"These families are extremely vulnerable financially," Jueschke said. "They worry about having enough to eat. Those parents expect that role. They probably planned for that role, but for grandparents, it's completely unexpected, and it's a different role than they thought they had."
Jueschke, who grew up in foster care herself, said when kids stay with a family member, they get to be with someone they know, love and trust. This Christmas, ISDD, through Project Grandd, is trying to give nearly 50 kinship families food, clothes and toys.
Jueschke said that according to U.S. Census data, Metro Atlanta currently has about 30,000 grandparents who take care of their grandchildren. That number is around 100,000 in the state of Georgia, and there are an estimated 200,000 kids being looked after by the grandparents or other relatives statewide.
While there may not be as many support systems for grandparents compared to parents when taking care of children, Jueschke said ISDD has been able to link these kinship families with financial resources, parental training, emotional support and other educational tools.
Donor Tamara Feliciano said the issue convicted her to bring what she could to help families in need this holiday season.
"I think that's what the holidays are all about, right? It's not necessarily about the gift giving," Feliciano said. "But it's nice to give gifts, and if you can, you should, just sharing the love and support and doing what you can."
Davis does what she can just to make ends meet and fill her new role that only can.
"I live just like what my God gives me, one day at a time," Davis said. “I believe he hasn’t failed me thus far, and I don’t think he will in the future.”