Support for families with grandparents and other kin raising children. In the first part of the series, participants hear stories about African-Americans' experiences in quilting. Are you looking for financial assistance or grants to help raise your grandchildren? National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP)Under the provisions of the National Family Caregiver Support Program, Area Agencies on Aging provide supportive services to grandparents and other relatives age 60 and over who are raising a relative's child. See InsureKidsNow.gov or call 877-543-7669 for more information. With careful planning and assistance, kinship care providers can develop skills in coping with this new situation, while strengthening their relationships with other family members and friends. In addition to the state's child guardianship and custody laws, the following laws may be helpful to kinship caregivers: Medical Consent (11 PA Cons. Nevertheless, kinship caregivers and the organizations that represent them must work harder to ensure that lawmakers know the many challenges and joys the caregiver families experience, particularly in areas where Pennsylvania law can be improved to promote the best interests of the child and family. The KinConnectors seek to assist these caregivers by providing information on financial assistance, legal information and referrals, and other issues caregivers face when raising children to provide stability and permanency in the home. She is also part of the Generations United GrAND Voices Network. If your income is above the US Poverty Guidelines, you may be eligible for a child-only grant, covering the child/children only. Charlotte Stephenson was confronted with devastating news in July 2011 when she learned that her daughter was addicted to painkillers and her grandson, Cameron, had been born addicted. Table 2 Selected Social Characteristics. The government Continue. How will refreshments be provided? 82,556 grandparents in Pennsylvania are responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren. He is a past member of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Kinship Advisory Board. In the Iowa House, she was chair of the Human Resources Committee for six years. By Jackie Stewart. Apply here. Syndicated columnist, NBC Today contributor and creator of SavvySenior.org. related to AARP volunteering. The Eck family, Terry, Sandy and Jack Jr. Terry and Sandy took custody of their grandson when he was 22 . Over 20 percent of these grandparents are living below the poverty level. Human service professionals can facilitate this goal by joining together (e.g., forming local kinship care task force groups), sharing ideas and resources, and mobilizing to address the unmet needs of kinship care families. These holiday assistance incentives work with charities, government, and community organizations. Let the group decide the time, length, and place of future meetings. To conclude the meeting the council was able to come to a consensus on recommendations covering the span of five areas of concern that will be applicable to the National Caregiver Strategy and wellbeing of Kinship families and Grandfamilies. Lent leads the national effort to set a unified agenda and coordinates the work of organizations serving and advocating for grandfamilies. Relationships with Extended Family and FriendsThe extended family can include other adult children and grandchildren, aunts and uncles, and even other grandparents. If you care for your grandchild/grandchildren, you may be eligible for free medical and dental assistance from Medicaid. Contact: Sandy Cross, Grand Central Kinship Care Resource Center at 215-557-1554. A grandparent in a kinship caregivers program, Brenda Barnes, has a great blog with some useful tips and For a detailed summary, see below. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. In some states, guardianship is known as conservatorship. As appropriate, encourage the mother and/or father to talk directly with the child, even if it means paying close attention to what is being said and what is happening during the interaction. They can make referrals to counselors and psychologists, or you can visit the Pennsylvania Counseling Association website to find a professional in your community. Your adult child still has parental rights, but the child and children are in your custody. 00:04:22 - There are so many families in our country that have been broken by bad relationships, death of a parent or both parents or just never had the chance The Educational Law Center ensures equal access to education for all children and has free services and publications For help locating affordable or free legal assistance, visit FindLegalHelp.org, or call the Eldercare Locator at 800-677-1116 for referrals. These general descriptions are not intended as legal advice in any particular situation. From August 2018 to January 2019, I interviewed 30 grandparents (ages 54 and older) raising grandchildren in North Carolina about their experiences feeding their families. Stat. . Many organizations are providing free PCs for People with Low-Incomes. Money is often an issue for the millions of U.S. grandparents who are raising their grandchildren today. She is the recipient of the 2015 Secretarys Meritorious Group Award for taking important steps to find a cure and improve care for people with dementia. Recognizing that these caregivers would benefit from improved coordination of resources intended to support them, as well as better dissemination of information about those resources, the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act established an Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. AARP Grandparent Resource Center (GIC)Provides information about services and programs that can help improve the lives of grandparent households. PA, and gives information and resources that can provide assistance and support to caregivers. Brookdale Center on Aging Grandparent Caregiver Law CenterOffers a page with a law chart for grandparents and professionals as well as a grandparentcaregiver guide that can be downloaded free of charge. Gather information about other kinds of support groups; if possible, attend a neighboring group meeting to watch, ask questions, and borrow ideas. Older caregivers are frequently stressed and may experience a sense of isolation as they watch their peers participate in adult activities. However, in terms of licensing for kinship foster parents, caregivers receive no special treatment, must meet the same approval standards, and receive the same foster care payment rate as non-kin foster parents in their county. published April 30, 2021. . Please visit the links below to view the meeting presentations, live stream recording, and a summary of the meeting outcomes. She belongs to several civic and professional organizations, including the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, Bettendorf Rotary, Scott Community Foundation Board, Davenport Community School Foundation Board, the Iowa Medical Alliance, and the Scott County Medical Alliance. The SGRG Act specifies that the Advisory Council will include at least one grandparent who is raising a grandchild and at least one older relative caring for children. Prior to joining the Department of Education, Carmen worked for local government providing information and referrals on disability issues across the lifespan. Write down your own thoughts and questions to ask when it is your turn to talk. Provide kinship care guidance and tools for service providers who serve as referral sources. He is past president of the Council on Community Resources. Dr. Lamont was the project officer for the Caregiver Supplement to the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), which collected data on the status of caregivers that can be linked to the needs and characteristics of their care recipients. As director of Senior Corps, Ms. Cox Roush leads the Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion and RSVP. She is a sibling to an adult brother with developmental disabilities and been involved in disability advocacy her entire life. She has received certificates in Grandfamilies Leadership training, Family Leadership training, and training in FASD, trauma, and more. In that position, she led policy advocacy with federal agencies and Congress and legal advocacy nationally to advance community living and inclusion, including in the areas of healthcare, Medicaid home- and community-based services, employment, housing, and education. Speakers shared personal experiences, results, resources and strategies from advocacy efforts, national research, and state/local initiatives to support grandparents raising grandchildren. She has testified before Congress and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on disability rights and was appointed to serve on the federal Advisory Committee for Competitive Integrated Employment of People with Disabilities. The organization's monthly newsletter provides a summary of state/national legislation and programs pertaining to the health, education, and welfare of children in kinship care families. She is also a member of the Generations United Grandfamilies Advisory Group and serves on various committees (e.g., Family First). A program sponsored by Penn State Extension and Generations Together in Allegheny County, this series of workshops is designed to help kinship care families with school-age children discover what makes their families special. As grandparents step us to raise their grandchildren, this lessens the burden on an already stressed foster care system. She oversees its work providing technical assistance on grandfamilies issues. For starters, find out whether your family qualifies for your states Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which may include cash assistance, food stamps and free or low-cost daycare. She raised her 20-year-old grandson since infancy and currently provides kinship care to grandchildren ages 4 and 3. He has given recent testimony on House Bill 14. Topics could include legal, financial, health, insurance, school, childcare, emotional, substance abuse, stress, and discipline issues for both the children and their adult caregivers. If you need help finding support, please get in touch with the Kinship. link to Free Government Laptops for Families in Need, link to The Family Assistance Program - Help with Finances, The Family Assistance Program Help with Finances, Wichita & Sedgwick County Emergency Housing, How to Start Small A Tree Trimming Business, Best Ways to Get Free Infant & Baby Formula, Where to Get Security Deposit Assistance Rent & Utilities, Utility Assistance Programs North Carolina, If the children have been legally adopted, National Foster Care & Adoption Directory Child welfare gateway. Be polite but persistent in your efforts to get the resources you need for yourself and the children in your care. Jaia Peterson Lent is the deputy executive director of Generations United, whose mission is to improve the lives of children, youth, and older people through intergenerational collaboration, public policies, and programs for the enduring benefit of all. . There is also the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD you can call for help. The Advisory Council will establish a process for obtaining public input to inform the development of both the initial report and the subsequent update. State Fact SheetsThe Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children in Pennsylvania state fact sheet (developed jointly by the Child Welfare League of America, AARP, The Brookdale Foundation, Generations United, and the National Center for Resource Family SupportCasey Family Programs); . Skip to main navigation You can develop skills in negotiating systems to get the help you need. In November of 2018, he served on the Kinship Action Planning Group to provide recommendations regarding a menu of supports for kin families. Bette served as a court appointed special advocate (CASA) and provides training on a number of child welfare related topics. If they have been in foster care and you gain guardianship of them, you may be able to receive subsidized guardianship. Arizona Governor's Advisory Council on Aging Web site. Learn who is in charge of the services you need. in pastoral care and counseling. There will be no reduction in benefits because a grandparent cares for a grandchild in any arrangement (power of attorney, custody order, guardianship order, adoption). To learn more about these tax benefits call the IRS at 800-829-1040, or visit IRS.gov. Mr. Donavan has served in every officer position with the Ohio Grandparent-Kinship Coalition and has remained active with the coalition continuously since 2004. Family and Community Service of Delaware County Website: www.fcsdc.org Phone: 610-566-7540 (Media office) Mr. Herndon earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Tennessee and a Master of Public Administration from Georgia State University, where he received the Dan Sweat Scholarship for Academic Excellence. She has published journal articles and book chapters on topics including custodial grandparenting, mental health, sexuality, aging, and doctoral student training. Standby Guardianship (23 PA Cons. OH, and presents resources for relative caregivers on financial assistance, Medicaid, child support, after-school care, licensing, and permanency incentives. . If you qualify, you may be eligible for other benefits as well. Developing & evaluating intergenerational initiatives in diverse settings. Recognizing this, the Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildrendeveloped the linked COVID-19/Emergency Preparedness Resource Guide. In earlier government roles, she served as Special Counsel for Olmstead Enforcement in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, leading efforts to enforce the rights of people with disabilities to live, work and fully participate in their communities. She firmly believes that offering a supportive network will help grandparents maintain social, physical, and financial sustainability. She has practiced nursing for more than 35 years to include clinical and administrative positions, and is a veteran, having served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. Kinship caregivers, particularly grandparents, face a host of emotional, legal, and daily living challenges as they unexpectedly find themselves in the position of raising a second family. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. For a wealth of information on kinship care or Grandfamilies visit the Generations United website, Contact: Generations United, 1333 H Street NW, Suite 500 W, Washington, D.C. 20005. It's possible that the issues you may be facing will be new to the first agency you contact. She also worked with the Niagara County Department of Social Services in Child Protection matters to avoid removals and reduce recidivism rates. Make contact with others via support groups. Free Government Laptops for Families in Need. Generations United (GU) National Center on Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising ChildrenSeeks to improve the quality of life of kinship caregivers and the children they are raising. Amelia Karraker, Ph.D., is a health scientist administrator in the Population and Social Processes Branch in the Division of Behavioral and Social Research at the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health. 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