Connecting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren to Resources and Information
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2007-01-30 17:10:10.639791-05:00
Across the country and in New York State, more and more grandparents are parenting for a second time around. In New York State, more than 143,000 grandparents are raising their grandchildren, and over 400,000 children live in households headed by a grandparent or other relative. Nationwide, according to the 2000 Census, nearly 4.5 million children live in grandparent-headed homes, a 30% increase from 1990.
Raising a grandchild is a rewarding, yet often challenging job, and grandparents are faced with unique issues as they again take on the role of parents. One-fifth of these families lives in poverty and could benefit from support services to help them cope with the challenges of becoming a parent for the second time. In addition, grandparents must often grapple with legal, health, education and financial support issues as they raise a grandchild.
A new program, the New York State Kinship Navigator, is now ready to help. Funded by the New York State Office of Children and Families, the program serves as a "one-stop shop" for information and resources for grandparents raising grandchildren and other kin caregivers. The Navigator program offers assistance and referrals through a toll-free hotline, 1-877-4KinInfo (or 877-454-6463), where kin caregivers can receive consultation from a Kinship Specialist, and the website, www.nysnavigator.org. The program is the first comprehensive, statewide resource for kin caregivers.
The AARP Foundation's Benefits Outreach for Grandfamilies will also be featured on the site to guide kin caregivers to benefits and programs for which they may be eligible.
"Grandparents can serve as stabilizing figures for children whose parents can no longer care for them," said Lois Aronstein, State Director of AARP New York. "It is important for them to have access to the information, resources and support they need. AARP applauds the creation the New York State Kinship Navigator program."
AARP New York has been a strong advocate for grandparents raising grandchildren and other kin caregivers and has supported the creation of the Navigator program.
A whitepaper commissioned by AARP New York and the New York State Kincare Coalition in 2005, Enabling Kin Caregivers to Raise Children, called for the establishment of a navigator resource for kin caregivers. The recommendation was one of 17 recommendations AARP New York and the Coalition believe should be implemented to aid kin caregivers in the state.
Read other recommendations in the whitepaper online.
Find more information about grandparents raising grandchildren, by visiting the AARP Foundation's Grandparent Information Center online.
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