I'm 65 and raising my two teenage grandsons on $40,000 a year. I can't afford to retire or get legal custody.

A 65-year-old grandmother in Baton Rouge raises two teenage grandsons after their parents were unable to care for them. Temporary custody was granted when the boys were younger, but legal custody remains unresolved because her son has not signed papers. Without legal rights, she fears the boys could be taken immediately if their father chooses to reclaim them. She cannot afford an attorney, and attempts to access assistance have been blocked, including food stamps due to income limits. She has still managed school enrollment and medical care, and the boys are included on her tax forms. She refuses foster care because it would feel like abandoning them.

"There are so many grandparents raising grandchildren, and the system is failing us. I don't need support for myself I survived fine on my own but when you have two teenage boys, they need assistance. There's no safety net for grandparents, especially for those without legal rights. I have five children, whom I raised mostly on my own, and 17 grandchildren. I have my two grandsons because their parents were unable to care for them."

"My son is the father of the boys and is 47 now. I've had Jason and Blaze throughout their lives. A few times when they were younger, the court gave me temporary custody when their parents were unable to raise them. I've been that stronghold and safety net to catch them. My son hasn't signed the papers to give me legal custody If my son were to walk in and say, "I want them with me," he can walk out of here with them."

"I can't afford an attorney to go through the system; the last one I tried to get wanted $800 upfront. Still, the school let me enroll them because the district knows the parents' history. I've been able to get medical care for them, and they're on my tax forms. Someone told me to try foster care, but it's a road I refuse to go down. I don't trust the system."

"It would hurt me so badly to know that I let my grandchildren go into foster care because I couldn't afford to feed or house them. I've tried to apply for food stamps, but they tell me I make too much money I earn $40,000 a year as a facilities manager at a building. I'd need to make half of tha"

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