Grandparent Caregiver Program on the Path to Permanence

Hundreds of District grandparents may soon breathe sighs of relief. The highly-regarded DC Grandparent Caregiver Pilot Program (GCPP), scheduled to end this fall, is now on the path to permanence. Mayor Adrian Fenty proposed the change in his FY2010 Budget Support Act and all 13 District Council members stand behind it as well.

For the past 3 years, the GCPP, which was championed by AARP DC, has been supporting low-income grandparents raising grandchildren. It helps keep children in their families by providing grandparent caregivers with monthly subsidies equal to those a foster parent would receive. This funding is a lifeline for grandparents struggling to provide safe and nurturing homes.

Take Balinda Cunningham, a Southeast Washington resident who has been raising her 8 year-old granddaughter Tierra from birth. Before she began receiving the subsidy last June, she had trouble providing Tierra the basic necessities. Tierra's feet hurt because her shoes were too tight and classmates made fun of her hand-me-down clothes. Balinda couldn't afford to send her on school trips and occasionally they both went hungry. Thanks to the Grandparent Caregive Program, Tierra not only eats better, but her clothes fit and she participates in trips like the other kids. The subsidy has provided a safety net that they are thankful for every day.

Grandparent-headed families are not the only ones to benefit from the program. It can be a District budget saver as well. The Grandparent Caregiver Pilot Program subsidy costs the city an average $8,900 per child per year. Caring for a child through the child welfare system costs the government more than $20,000 annually.

Unfortunately, not all families who qualify for the benefit are currently receiving it. There are 190 children in 121 families on a waiting list. The Mayor has proposed a modest increase in the program for FY2010—from $4.5 million to $4.844 million -- which would accommodate an additional 30-35 children. AARP has urged the Council to consider funding the program at $6 million to accommodate both families currently receiving the subsidy and those in line.

Ivybelle Roye, a great grandmother who has been on the waiting list for more than a year, made her case to the District Council Committee on Human Services in April. "At my age," she said, "it is not easy to raise two infants, but I am happy to do it in order to keep my grandchildren within a family that loves and cherishes them. The subsidy would give me a cushion to provide the life these children deserve now and into the future. I want to see them grow up to be responsible and happy adults."

For program information, call 202-442-6009.