 |
|
||||||||||||
Grandparents
Through the Family Caregiver Program, grandparents and relatives over the age of 60 raising grandchildren may be eligible to obtain financial assistance with respite or other needs relative to caring for the children. For more information see the Family Caregiver Program page.
Elder Directions for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
In the Area IV service area, there are approximately 3175 grandparent-headed households raising grandchildren under the age of 18 with 1454 of them having formal custody according to the 2000 Census. Why are these grandparents raising their grandchildren? There are several reasons, but the most common are death of the child’s parents, incarceration, drug abuse, or biological parents who are unable to or don’t want to care for the child.Problems and challenges facing these grandparents:
- the lack of finances,
- transportation,
- obtaining medical services for the children,
- finding housing that is large enough,
- legal issues related to raising the children without guardianship – and how to afford to obtain guardianship,
- difficulty enrolling children in school without custody/guardianship ,
- and emotional or behavioral problems of the children due to previous lifestyles,
- and dealing with their own feelings of guilt, anger, and sadness.
Through the Family Caregiver Program, grandparents and relatives over the age of 60 raising grandchildren may be eligible to obtain financial assistance with respite or other needs relative to caring for the children. For more information see the Family Caregiver Program page.
Support Group
Area IV has no support groups at this time for grandparents/relatives raising grandchildren/children. However, if you are interested in a support group (regardless of age), please contact Jan Fay at 765-447-7683 or 800-382-7556.
Resources & Links For Grandparents