Congress Passes Important Supports for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Last week was an incredibly busy and successful one for Generations United’s Grandfamilies Team under the leadership of our Deputy Executive Director Jaia Peterson Lent.
Working in partnership with other national leaders and colleagues on the Hill, we succeeded in securing funding for Kinship Navigator Programs. We also celebrated the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act passing unanimously in the Senate.
With the former, our efforts to advocate for Kinship Navigator Programs resulted in $20 million in the omnibus spending bill, which the president signed into law.
Thanks to the bill, grandfamilies across the country will be linked to services and supports like those that helped Chris Mathews and her family.
The Kinship Program in Florida helped Chris navigate the court process to get full custody of her two grandchildren after their mother was arrested for drug possession and jumped her court-ordered probation.
The program also helped Chris secure Social Security funds for the kids and connected her family to support groups.
“I would have lost my mind without the Kinship Program. I have friendships to this day because of it,” said Chris, who also secured employment with the program.
Another big boost for grandfamilies came when the Senate unanimously passed the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act, which would create a federal task force charged with supporting grandparents raising grandchildren as the opioid epidemic increases their numbers.
Today, 2.6 million children are being raised by their grandparents and other relatives.
“Thanks to the leadership of Sens. Collins and Casey the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act will bring attention to the vital role these caregivers play in helping our nation’s children thrive,” Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United, was quoted in the press release issued by Sen. Collins’ office. “The legislation will provide information and help coordinate federal resources during a time relatives are being called on in unprecedented numbers to step in and care for the children of the opioid crisis.”
Our 2016 report, Raising the Children of the Opioid Epidemic, led to the Senate Aging Committee holding a hearing on the struggles of grandparents raising grandchildren because of the opioid crisis. Jaia, our good friend Sharon McDaniel and members of our GrAND Voices were asked to testify at the Hearing.
Consequently, the Committee’s co-chairs — Senator Susan Collins and Senator Bob Casey — introduced the bill that would help coordinate federal resources for grandparents raising grandchildren.
Shaheed’s grandmother could’ve used that help.
Thirty years ago, when Shaheed’s mother’s addiction to crack cocaine drover her to walk out of a Trenton, N.J., hospital just days after giving birth to him, his grandmother showed up and claimed him.
“It was not easy for my grandmother to raise a child with serious needs while she was in her early 60s with little support,” Shaheed said. “We need more support for grandparents like her who step up to care for us.”
And they’ll get those supports through the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act if the U.S. House of Representatives passes it.
Join us in honoring grandfamilies and celebrating these important victories while not losing site of the work still ahead of us.
