Allow one to two hours for the meeting. Sources of additional information and resources are available by contacting these organizations or by accessing links found on the Web sites listed throughout this publication. Inquire at the local Department of Social Services. If you need help finding support, please get in touch with the Kinship. Financial Help for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. Many financial resources and support services are targeted to families referred to as "kinship care" and "grandfamilies." Child Support from Parents . Attend a retreat or other activity designed for kinship care providers and the children in their care. . Decide how you will handle any group expenses. Relationships with Extended Family and FriendsThe extended family can include other adult children and grandchildren, aunts and uncles, and even other grandparents. Camerons father filed a custody petition, but after two years in family court, Charlotte was able hold onto Cameron and keep him out of harms way. Sonya Begay is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and is a single grandparent raising her three grandchildren. She represents non-parent relatives of children at risk of placement in foster care. The groups tend to offer social and emotional support for members by providing advice and understanding. Types of support include information about available services for caregivers; assistance in accessing services; individual counseling; organization of support groups; and training in decision making, respite care, and supplemental services to caregivers. The need for programs and services for kinship caregivers and children spans all life stages. In fact, most kincare families are not receiving the grant. SSI rules also cover children. Her 11-year-old granddaughter is a competitive cheerleader . Child Care (this benefit is income-dependent) Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) To Apply Submit an application on-line at myDHR Apply in-person at the Local Department of Social Services. Becoming a kinship caregiver can happen suddenly. He brings to this position more than 20 years experience in personal finance issues, public policy, and consumer outreach. 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. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Publicize meetings through posters, flyers, press releases, ads, announcements or letters-to-the-editor in newspapers, local TV, and radio. Grandparents raising grandchildren may be eligible for a variety of other services and supports including financial assistance, food and nutrition programs, free or low-cost medical care, respite care, and housing assistance, among others. Gail Engel and her husband, Joe, are raising their 12-year-old grandson with intellectual and development disabilities autism and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. While services to support kinship care families are available in some parts of the state, these services still only exist on a small scale. And always, in the event of an immediate emergency, dial 911 or visit PA Suicide Hotline website to find the numbers for the suicide and crisis hotline in your county. The Strategy includes nearly 350 actions the federal government will take to support family caregivers in the coming year and more than 150 actions that can be adopted at other levels of government and across the private sector to begin to build a system that ensures family caregivers who provide the overwhelming majority of long-term care in the United States have the resources they need to maintain their own health, well-being, and financial security while providing crucial support for others. She is also a member of the Generations United Grandfamilies Advisory Group and serves on various committees (e.g., Family First). She is the co-chair for Larimer County Alliance for Grandfamilies, a member of Generations United - GrAND Voices Network, and a member of the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) Implementation Team for Colorado. Toni Kleckley, M.A., D.Th., is a 10-year chaplain, licensed and ordained, with her doctorate in theology and M.A. For more information or to learn how to fill out the grant application, contact the New York State Kinship Navigator at: CE Approval Collaborative Approval Period: Tuesday, July 12, 2022 through August 31, 2024. Children are living in poverty and grandparents in isolation. The information presented in this booklet was drawn from many resources, including the AARP fact sheet, Support Groups for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (2003), the Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising ChildrenPennsylvania State Fact Sheet (developed jointly by the Child Welfare League of America, AARP, The Brookdale Foundation, Generations United, and the Casey National Center for Resource Family Support), the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Pennsylvania: How Do Our Laws Work? It is important to keep in mind that law and policies change and are subject to different interpretations. If you call a referral and find out that person is no longer there, simply ask for the person who took their place. Standby Guardianship (23 PA Cons. On October 20, 2020, the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (SGRG) Advisory Council finalized 22 recommendations intended to advance change and improve supports to kinship families and grandfamilies of all ages. AARP New York is committed to helping kin caregivers, and along with helping to establish the New York State Kincare Coalition, AARP has helped to resolve some of the legal challenges faced by caregivers. Advancing independence, integration, and inclusion throughout life, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, Get instructions for navigating this site, ACL A to Z: Programs, Networks, & Focus Areas, Americans with Disabilities Act National Network, Senior Centers and Supportive Services for Older Adults, State Councils on Developmental Disabilities, University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Aging and Disability Resource Centers Program/No Wrong Door System, Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, State Health Insurance Assistance Program, Transportation Research and Demonstration Program, The Presidents Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, For American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, Advanced Rehabilitation Research and Training (ARRT) Program, Disability and Rehabilitation Research Program, Field-Initiated Projects Program Rehabilitation Research, Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center Program, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) Program, Small Business Innovation Research Program, National Family Caregiver Support Program, Support for People with Limb Loss, Paralysis and TBI, Strengthening the Aging and Disability Networks, Aging and Disability Evidence-Based Programs and Practices, Duals Demonstration Ombudsman Program Technical Assistance, Volunteer Opportunities and Civic Engagement, Projected Future Growth of Older Population, Reports to Congress and the President, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Medicare Improvements for Patients & Providers Act, Connecting to Specific Programs or Services, 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act, Advisory Council Year One Progress Report, COVID-19/Emergency Preparedness Resource Guide for Kinship Families and Grandfamilies, National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, April 2020 SGRG Advisory Council Meeting Overview and Outcomes 4/23/2020 (PDF), Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Advisory Council Meeting, Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Meeting, Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Council Photos, Disability Assistance and Information Line. By informing legislators and policymakers about these concerns--in meetings with caregivers in their offices or at support groups, sending e-mails and letters, and attracting media attention--kinship caregivers and their supporters can help promote the change needed to further strengthen and safely maintain kinship care families in Pennsylvania. CONTACT: Illinois Department of Human Services. Realizing the opportunity for outreach and the power of social media, Sharon created Facebook groups for grandparents and other relatives raising children. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate who has been serving as the lead social worker for the Healthy Grandfamilies program since 2015. Get instructions for navigating this site, ______________________________________________________________________. Some agencies are overworked and understaffed, and getting an appointment or referral may take some time. You're certainly not alone. The mission of the Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (SGRG) is to identify, promote, coordinate and disseminate information, resources, and best practices to help grandparents and older relative caregivers of children meet the health, educational, nutritional, and other needs of the children in their care, while maintaining their own physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Please enter your email address below to create account. This permanency option promotes the preservation of family, community, and cultural ties and potentially reduces racial disproportionality and disparities in child welfare. In particular, Pennsylvania has no laws relating to financial and support services for kinship care, nor does the state have a law specifically relating to educational consent for children in a kinship care situation. Grandparents who have legal custody of grandchildren have several resources for financial assistance through government agencies, social service organizations and private foundations. This publication addresses kinship care challenges and highlights promising programs and resources available to assist grandparents and other relative caregivers and the children they are raising. Promote the idea of collaboration and resource sharing between community agencies in support of kinship care families. Contact: Kathy Schank, 610-566-7540 or visit the FCSDC Web site, Offered by Generations Together at the University of Pittsburgh, this program serves relative caregivers and the children whom they are raising in Allegheny County. Speakers shared personal experiences, results, resources and strategies from advocacy efforts, national research, and state/local initiatives to support grandparents raising grandchildren. If your gross family income is at or below the Federal Poverty Guidelines, you may be eligible for this help. You can develop skills in negotiating systems to get the help you need. Contact: Generations Together, 412-648-7150; Generations together Web site. Unfortunately, that is not the case. These cookies do not store any personal information. Javascript must be enabled to use this site. She has worked for the Fairfax County Public Schools as a parent liaison, ensuring that the school and parents have access to necessary resources. Christmas Assistance Programs Help with Bills, Food & Toys. Phone: 202-434-2296. 2511-2513)This law allows a child's legal guardian/custodian to permit a relative or family friend to consent to medical, surgical, dental, developmental, mental health, or other treatment for the child. Lent leads the national effort to set a unified agenda and coordinates the work of organizations serving and advocating for grandfamilies. more than 80,000 grandparents in Pennsylvania are responsible for meeting the basic needs of their children? In the meantime, please feel free ", Child Welfare League of AmericaKinship Care in Child Welfare Contains services, initiatives, and publications for kinship foster families. In addition, grandparents must often stretch their budgets when they take on the day-to-day expenses of caring for a grandchild. In 2017, Lent was named one of the Top 50 Influencers in Aging by Next Avenue. Kinship care providers may wish they had more time to give to these persons. Over 3 million grandparents are now responsible for the care and raising of their grandchildren. This is your opportunity to ask for referrals. Stat. It also describes federal programs currently available to assist them and provides 22 recommendations for better supporting kinship families and grandfamilies. The unique feature of the grant is that only the childs income and financial resources are counted in determining the eligibility for the grant. There are even education-related tax credits that can help your grandkids go to college, like the American Opportunity Tax Credit or the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit. Keep it simple and start small; two or three people in the beginning afford a good start. The day after the children were placed, the foster parents cut the oldest grandsons long hair, disrespecting his Native American tradition. In the United States, the majority of custodial grandparents are raising their grandchildren without a legal relationship. She is the proud Gramma to more than 40 of the worlds most remarkable grandchildren, one of whom she delivered, and 5 great grandchildren. Let every person know that they are special to you. Help them adjust to the present situation by reminding them that they are living with someone who loves them and wants to keep them safe. 1-800-986-KIDSPennsylvania CHIP web site, PA Area Agencies on Aging (PA Department of Aging): . to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Further, kinship care providers or their friends may feel they no longer share common interests with each other. E-mail: gu@gu.org. Because they care so much or have an interest in a particular outcome, those closest to the family may not be objective in their support or advice. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2014, more than 13 million grandchildren lived with their grandparents. During emergency circumstances, including natural disasters or pandemics, challenges are amplified for kinship families and grandfamilies. She has 3 biological adult children, 8 adopted children, and 9 former foster children for whom she is still mom. Contact: A Second Chance, 412-665-2300; A Second Chance Web site. Let's take a closer look at specific relationships and describe some suggestions for strengthening them. Recessions come and go, but creative and resourceful people will always survive lifes storms. To help with the day-to-day expenses, there are a variety of government programs and tax benefits that can make a big difference in stretching your budget. In November of 2018, he served on the Kinship Action Planning Group to provide recommendations regarding a menu of supports for kin families. If you think you need help, take a friend or someone who knows the system. Theres also the Earned Income Tax Credit or EITC which is available to those with moderate to low incomes, or the Child Tax Credit if you make too much money to qualify for the EITC. GrandFamilies Guide. Dr. Kleckleys newfound role stems from the lack of services available to grandparents who are not in the foster care system. 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