“Sometimes families need more than a referral. They need someone willing to advocate, work alongside them and keep looking for a solution.”
To Ms. Austin, Atlas Alliance’s senior case manager and community engagement manager, her work is more than just a job. Supporting caregivers and children is personal.
As a child, she experienced a kinship care environment, and later, her job as a Child Protective Services (CPS) agent exposed her to more challenges that both children and caregivers face.
“Growing up without my parents was traumatic, and I struggled to accept the love of my grandmother, who was doing her best to raise me,” she shares.
“That experience helps me understand how a child’s pain can affect their relationship with the caregiver who is trying to provide love, stability and support.”
Today, she draws on those experiences to advocate for kinship caregivers and the children in their care.
So often, caregivers feel the weight of managing every challenge alone as they do everything possible to provide a loving home. The children in their care are often working through trauma, loss and difficult emotions.
At Atlas Alliance, Ms. Austin works alongside caregivers, advocates for their needs and finds ways to help families navigate challenges and access support.
Through case management, benefits screenings, parenting and health education, guardianship assistance, legal aid connections, respite services and community outreach, Atlas helps caregivers access resources that support their families. Community partnerships also offer families opportunities to receive free clothing and furniture.
In her role, she sees the direct impact these services have on kids and caregivers.
One grandparent she supports had been struggling financially while raising grandchildren. After months of hardship, Ms. Austin and Atlas Alliance helped the caregiver access support to better meet the children's needs.
“Seeing the relief and joy on that grandparent’s face reminded me why this work matters,” Ms. Austin said.
“When caregivers receive the support they need, they can better provide for the children who depend on them.”
Through her work and her own family’s experience, Ms. Austin knows how difficult the kinship journey can be. She believes every caregiver deserves intentional support, and every child deserves understanding, patience and opportunities to heal.
Together with the team at Atlas Alliance, Ms. Austin is doing good work. But she knows families are still facing many challenges.
“Housing is the greatest unmet need, followed by transportation, access to food and clothing, activities during summer and holidays, respite care and education about childhood trauma and disabilities,” she shared.
With more community partners, she knows Atlas can reach even more families with comprehensive support.
Because when the community works together, caregivers feel supported, children feel understood and advocacy, resources and community collaboration build stronger families.