In recent years, multiple physics education research studies were conducted with a goal of understanding and improving graduate education in physics. Using a variety of frameworks and methodologies, these studies have documented policies and practices in graduate programs and the results of these studies have influenced policies and practices within graduate physics programs. Through this paper, we seek to contribute to this growing body of literature by uplifting the experiences of graduate students who have participated in bridge programs and identifying the implications of our findings on the policies and practices of departments aimed at improving graduate students experiences. Drawing on data from a larger study aimed at understanding culture within departments with bridge programs and utilizing the community cultural wealth framework, we elucidate the concept of familial capital and offer suggestions for how physics graduate programs might alter policies and practices to better leverage this particular form of capital.