Support for kinship care and love that extends beyond blood

Providence Swedish caregiver Robyanna May took emergency custody of her nephew's infant daughter. The experience inspired her to build the Love Beyond Blood Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting kinship caregivers. 

There is an ancient expression reminding us that life can change "...in the twinkling of an eye." For Robbyanna May, a patient sitter at Providence Swedish's First Hill campus, that twinkling came in the form of an infant girl named Xavianna. 

When Xavianna, the daughter of May's nephew, was found to be born substance-exposed, hospital staff determined that she could not safely go home with her parents. After an urgent phone call from her nephew, May made the life changing decision to step in and become Xavianna's guardian.

That moment also opened her eyes to a reality many kinship caregivers. The U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates that there are some 2.4 million kinship caregivers in the U.S. These grandparents, relatives, and even close family friends, step in to care for children when their parents cannot, often with little-to-no notice, and even less support. Many are left to navigate overwhelming financial, emotional, and logistical challenges on their own.

“There is no time to prepare in moments like that,” May shares. “You don’t have time to think about cribs, diapers, or childcare. You just say yes out of love, and then you figure everything else out later.”

From May's experience, the Love Beyond Blood Foundation was born. The organization is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting kinship families across Snohomish County and North King County. 

“We are proud to be the first nonprofit in Washington State providing comprehensive, wraparound support specifically for kinship families,” May says. “When a child enters kinship care, the needs do not come one at a time. They come all at once. Our goal is to meet families where they are and walk alongside them.”

Through programs like Xavianna’s Closet, Kinship Crew, back to school support, emergency financial assistance, and CPR training, the foundation provides both immediate relief and long-term stability for families who have stepped up in love. The Love Beyond Blood Foundation  hopes to expand services to include therapy and additional support for both children and caregivers.

For May (in photo at right above), this work is more than service. It is deeply personal. Every family she supports reflects a journey she has lived herself, and every child served is a reminder of why she said yes in the first place. The foundation is built not just on resources, but on compassion, understanding, and lived experience. 

One of the organization’s most meaningful programs is Uncle Joe’s Toy Drive, named in honor of May's late husband.

 “That program means everything to me,” she says. “It allows his name, his love, and his legacy to continue living on through the joy we bring to children.”

To learn more about the Love Beyond Blood Foundation, visit www.lovebeyondbloodfoundation.org or contact lovebeyondbloodfoundation@gmail.com.