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11th Annual Voices of Children Contest Gene Mossberger, First Lady Trudi Inslee, Jared Dance, Dru Mossberger, Hope Mossberger and Patricia Mossberger

Children Raised by their Grandparents or Other Relatives

For over a decade, TwinStar has been a sponsor of the Voices of Children Raised by Grandparents and Other Relatives Contest. The contest honors both the children, and the more than 37,000 relatives in Washington State who are raising them. For more than 2 million children in the United States, living with a grandparent, aunt, uncle or other family member has become a permanent or long-term arrangement. When parents are unable or unwilling to care for their children, placing children with a caregiver who is a relative can reduce the trauma experienced when placed with strangers. Kinship care enhances children’s sense of identity and self-esteem, continues the connections children have to their siblings and other relatives, and strengthens the family’s ability to give children the support they need.

Contest applicants submitted a poem, essay or drawing that illustrates how living with a relative has made a positive difference in their life. The top two entries in each age division were awarded $100 from TwinStar Credit Union and a free night for a family of four at Great Wolf Lodge.

TwinStar is proud to be a sponsor of this wonderful program that encourages strong, long-term family ties. To learn more about Voices of Children, go to www.fosteringtogether.org.





