Ontario Kinship Care provider selected as national 'Grandparent of the Year'

ONTARIO -- An Ontario woman has been selected as one of the "Grandparents of the Year" by a national digital magazine for grandparents and their families.

Debbie Williams, 48, was nominated for the honor by Melodye James of the Mansfield Department of Regional Community Advancement, the community based contractor with Richland County Children Services for its Kinship Navigator program.

Grand, the digital magazine now in its seventh year online, selected 10 grandparents as finalists for its top award. Williams was selected among those 10. 

In 2006, Williams' three grandchildren faced the prospect of being placed in foster care. Williams went to court with her daughter and asked if the children could be placed into her custody.

"The magistrate commented that would never happen because of Debbie's own alcoholism," the nomination said. "Determined that her grandchildren would have an opportunity to remain with family, Debbie sought treatment and joined AA."

After being in AA for one year, completing the Second-Time Around Grandparents Raising Grandchildren course, seeking individual mental health counseling, becoming active in the local kinship support groups and working with her Children Services caseworker, Williams went to court again seeking custody of her grandchildren.

"This time the magistrate, seeing evidence of real change in Debbie and her willingness to 'become' the grandmother her grandchildren needed, ordered her to submit to mouth swabs. Debbie willingly paid for the swabs and had them done daily to (prove) her commitment to remaining alcohol-free," the nomination said.

In 2008, Williams was granted legal custody of her grandchildren. She marked five years of sobriety last month.

"Because of Debbie's strong commitment to family ties and her willingness to do whatever it takes to give her grandchildren the security and legacy of family preservation, Debbie should be the 2011 Grandparent of the Year," the nomination said.

When learning of the honor, Williams said, "It is truly a blessing to be raising my grandsons and only by the grace of God am I here today. They truly helped save my life from my addiction."

Williams is part of the magazine's September/October edition.

"Every nominee is a special person in the lives of their family and community, meriting special attention and consideration," the magazine said. "All of (the) judges were deeply moved by the true stories of strength and compassion, sacrifice and passion, and an almost universal sense of service over self.

"The common thread of every nomination was that love, freely shared without judgment, is the clearest expression of who we are in our finest days. This legacy is what makes grandparenting such a powerful source for good."

Grand delivers its digital magazine to 250,000 users every two months, in addition to a free website that offers content of interest to grandparents and others.

"We had just under 1,000 nominations this year," said Christine Crosby, editorial director for Grand. "We get a lot of (web) traffic from Ohio. In fact, Ohio, Texas, Florida, California and New York are our top states in terms of readers."

Crystal Ward Allen, executive director the Public Children Services Association of Ohio, praised Williams and the kinship program.

"While we know these fortunate kids have better outcomes with kin (than unrelated foster parents), we also know these loving kinship caregivers need help successfully managing the arrival of an unplanned family to raise -- help with finances, legal issues and complex family dynamics," Ward Allen said. "The Kinship Navigator Program is supported through a federal grant as policy makers recognize the importance of supporting kinship families."

In Richland County, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, more than 500 grandparents are living with and responsible for their grandchildren. In those instances, 333 are caring for children 2 and younger.

Michael Colbert, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, praised Williams and other kinship providers.

"Across Ohio, kinship caregivers like Ms. Williams provide a stable, safe, and loving environment for children who cannot remain in their own home," Colbert said. "I want to thank Debbie and all caregivers for their commitment to Ohio's children."