I Just Wanted To Be A Grandma | Denise

Denise became a relative caregiver the way most grandparents do — with a phone call she never expected. Over the years she took in four grandchildren born into crisis, including a grandson who weighed just 10 pounds at eight months old and was later found to have esophageal atresia — born without an esophagus. She navigated CPS "safety plans" that dragged on for years without legal custody, a case that was quietly closed without her knowledge, and the day she was denied entry to her own grandson's hospital surgery because she still had no legal rights. Now Denise works alongside Texas Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, helping other relative caregivers avoid the same painful gaps she fell through — because, as she puts it, the need doesn't change based on which door a child walks through. 0:00 Intro — Running Toward Podcast 1:00 Meet Denise — A Relative Caregiver's Story 1:25 Four Grandchildren, One Adult Son With Autism 2:16 Her First Exposure to Foster Care — As a Teen Mom at 15 3:42 "Underground Foster Care" — The Woman Who Took Her Under Her Wing 4:42 The Call That Started It All: Domestic Violence and Her First Grandchild 5:32 What Is a "Safety Plan," Really? 6:17 The Revolving Door: 6 Months, Then a Year and a Half, Then Three Years 6:41 Her Grandson Weighed 10 Pounds at 8 Months Old 8:11 Born Without an Esophagus: Esophageal Atresia 8:36 "Robbing Peter to Pay Paul" — Raising Grandkids on No Extra Income 9:02 A 3-Day-Old Infant and a DNA Test Paid for by Her Son 9:48 Trading the Sedan for a Minivan, and a Bed Between Two Cribs 10:30 The Trauma of Being Bounced Back and Forth 11:50 Crying at the Social Security Office 12:17 Denied a Foster License Because No One Covered Childcare 14:05 Finding Out the Case Was Closed — Without Being Told 14:29 "We'll Take Your Kids Too" — A Scare Tactic That Wasn't True 15:00 "You're My Mom — Give Me My Child Back" 15:41 "You Just Want a Paycheck" — Family Strain With Her Son 17:20 The Turning Point: Realizing They Weren't Coming Back 19:02 Her Oldest Granddaughter's Fourth Removal — As a Teenager 19:24 Why She Took Each Grandkid to Appointments One-on-One 21:05 Denied at the Hospital — Even Though CPS Placed Him With Her 21:28 Maxing Out a Credit Card to Hire an Attorney 23:00 Grandma to Some, "Mom" to Others — Navigating Different Rules 26:32 What Families Actually Need: Childcare, Repairs, a Bed 29:19 The Pandemic Decision That Changed Her Career Path 34:07 The Real Numbers: 1 in 22, and Data No One Is Tracking 35:01 What It Actually Costs the State: $80,000 a Year, Minimum 37:19 When a "Permanent Placement" Isn't Built to Last 38:22 The Grandmother Who Couldn't Keep Her Granddaughters Safe 41:04 Denise's Fix #1: Build a Coordinated "Hub" for Families 43:28 Denise's Fix #3: It Takes a Village 43:52 Does God Give You More Than You Can Handle? Thanks for watching! Follow South Texas Alliance for Orphans: 📲 Instagram:   / southtxalliance4orphans   📘 Facebook:   / southtexasalliancefororphans   🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5OW7Jlc... 🌐 Learn more about fostering & adoption: https://www.southtxalliance4orphans.org If today's story moved you — share it with someone who needs to hear it. And if you've ever thought about fostering, even just once, let that thought be the start of something. 🤍 — Running Toward Podcast is brought to you by the South Texas Alliance for Orphans — real stories from real families walking the road ahead of you.