<div><strong>Our Story</strong>
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<div>We’re fighting for something that should never require a battle: the right to keep family together.
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<div>An infant child we love deeply is at risk of being placed outside their kinship network. For those who know us, you know we now live in Washington State, where we began our foster care journey with open hearts and a commitment to family. When we learned that our precious infant relative had entered foster care, we immediately stepped forward and requested kinship placement.
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<div>We continued our foster care certification, prepared a crib, gathered essential baby items, and waited for the ICPC process to begin. The ICPC (Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children) is a legal process that allows children in foster care to be placed with family members across state lines. It requires cooperation between both states, in our case, Louisiana and Washington. We prepared everything on our end but recently learned that our request was never submitted to begin our home study. Without that submission, Washington couldn’t legally move forward. This left us with no legal standing to advocate from afar. Instead, we were told by Louisiana, it would be “easier and quicker” if we relocated.
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<div>So, we’re currently preparing to uproot.
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<div>This is not just a move. It’s a mission rooted in love, stability, and the belief that every child deserves to grow up surrounded by people who cherish them.
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<div>We’ve done everything within our power to advocate appropriately. We contacted supervisors, submitted formal requests, and followed up persistently for months. When it became clear that we needed to be more available, we made a major life change. I went back to school and earned an insurance license so I could work remotely and provide full-time caregiving.
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<div>We reached out to Louisiana CASA volunteers, only to learn that this parish doesn’t automatically appoint Child Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) or Guardians ad Litem. These roles must be assigned by the judge, but the only way to speak to the judge is if we’re legally included in the case or have formal representation.
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<div>We’ve exhausted every avenue we could access on our own and feel deeply let down by the system. This fundraiser is not our first step; it’s our last resort. We’re turning to our community now because we believe in the power of family, and we refuse to give up on this child.
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<div>But the reality is, we can’t do it alone. Here’s what it will take to make this happen.
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<div><strong>What We’re Facing</strong>
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<div><strong>Legal fees</strong> to secure representation (retainer and filings): <strong>$10,000</strong>
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<div><strong>Relocation costs</strong> to move and establish residency:<strong> $5,000</strong>
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<ul>
<li>Penske Moving truck = $2,600 - open to suggestions!
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<li>Gas = $800
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<div><strong>Total Goal</strong>: 12,000
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<div>We’ve already stretched every personal resource we have and are now asking for help, from our community, friends, family, and compassionate strangers who believe in the power of kinship care.
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<div><strong>How You Can Help</strong>
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<div><strong>Donate</strong> whatever you can. Every dollar brings us closer to keeping this child with family. If you wish to Venmo us @morganne-fontenot
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<div><strong>Share</strong> this fundraiser with your friends, your church, your community.
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<div><strong>Stand with us</strong> in prayer, in advocacy, in hope.
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<div>We are so grateful for your support. Thank you for believing in family, in love, and in the power of showing up when it matters most.
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<div><strong>FAQ</strong>
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<div><strong>Are they qualified to care for the child?</strong>
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<div>We are certified through the University of Washington School of Social Work, with training completed on January 29, 2025. Our coursework included specialized topics such as Impacts of Prenatal Drug Exposure and Fostering as Part of a Team.
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<div>Having witnessed the effects of substance abuse within our family, we made a personal commitment to sobriety and have been alcohol-free for four years. This experience has deepened our empathy and understanding of trauma, mental health, and recovery; qualities that equip us to support the child’s emotional and developmental needs with compassion and resilience.
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<div><strong>Why didn’t Louisiana submit the ICPC?</strong>
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<div>When we first contacted Louisiana DCFS to request kinship care, they confirmed that it may be a longer process but that it should not be an issue. They also stated that if the birth mother could regain custody within 45 days, they typically don’t initiate out-of-state placement until after. However, we officially requested the ICPC process at the very beginning of the case and followed up multiple times over the next six months. Despite our efforts, we were recently told that they were unaware of our original request.
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<div><strong>Is relocation really the only option?</strong>
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<div>Yes, and not because it’s easy or convenient, but because it’s the only way to protect this child’s future.
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<div>While the ultimate goal is for the child’s mother to fully rehabilitate and reunification to be granted, foster care operates under <strong>concurrent planning. </strong>Meaning a backup plan is developed in case reunification isn’t possible. Our Plan B was to complete the ICPC and home study so our loved one could be placed with family.
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<div>However, without that process in motion, a Louisiana attorney informed us that unless we’re legally involved, physically present, and already included in the system’s official plans, the child may remain with the temporary foster parent and be adopted out, even if we are biological family. As heartbreaking as it is, this outcome is not uncommon.
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<div>That’s why relocation isn’t just critical, it’s essential. It allows us to be recognized not as outsiders, but as family. Without that, the system may default to placing the child permanently with a non-relative, despite our readiness, our love, and our unwavering commitment to family.
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Michelle Wimberly

Jacqueline Wisdom

Nolan Storey

Bailey Cross

Anna House

Brandon Williams

Jill McMahon

Tenaya Meaux

Daniel Roe

Sam Place

Ariel Tusa

Cheech R

Alexa Ballard

Michael Rowshan

Nora Rushe

Anonymous

Tyler Bienvenue

Kinship Justice Fund - Legal & Relocation Support

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Kinship Justice Fund - Legal & Relocation Support

Still $9,825 to go. Help us build momentum.