Charleston, South Carolina will always be a special place for Linda Holmes. However, in this phase of her life, she finds herself grateful to live in Cuyahoga County.

“There’s no resources like Murtis Taylor in South Carolina. There is no help whatsoever for grandparents raising children,” said Mrs. Holmes, a 71-year-old mother and grandmother who is the adoptive parent and primary caregiver for her grandchildren, James and Aaliyah who are in the 7th grade, and 5th grade respectively. Family is very important to Mrs. Holmes, and she is determined to provide a safe and loving environment for her grandchildren.

“In all honesty, I couldn’t sleep at night knowing I could do something and didn’t.”

Mrs. Holmes and her family are among the 10,000-plus people who annually use the services of the Murtis Taylor Human Services System. Since 1948, Murtis Taylor has provided behavioral health and counseling for children and families, as well as other programs and services for Cuyahoga residents. The human services organization is one of 13 Neighborhood Collaboratives contracted by the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to provide support for children and families experiencing emergency placement, foster care, and adoption.

In 2017, DCFS reached out to Mrs. Holmes to place her grandchildren in her custody. Murtis Taylor was able to help the family acquire beds, coats, shoes, and other necessities for the children. From the moment of initial placement, through the adoption process, to now, Murtis Taylor has been there, said Mrs. Holmes.

“Murtis Taylor has come to my rescue many times. God has put the people who work at Murtis Taylor in my life,” said Mrs. Holmes, who offers a word of encouragement for other grandmothers and families connected to DCFS and Murtis Taylor. "You may become stressed, but patience, understanding, love—these things together, if you take them and roll them up in a ball and hold them in your hand every day, then you’ll make it through."

HHS Communications is producing a series of blogs and videos to highlight the impact of our Neighborhood Collaboratives to Cuyahoga County. To read more about our partners, visit cuyahogacounty.gov/familiesfirst.