Recap of our 2020 State of Grandfamilies Report Release Event
During her remarks, Generations United GRAND Voice Member Victoria Gray shared how the COVID-19 pandemic heightened challenges for her family.
Gray’s comments came Thuesday afternoon at Generations United’s virtual release of our 2020 State of Grandfamilies Report, Facing a Pandemic: Grandfamilies Living Together During COVID-19 and Thriving Beyond. Our new report elevates the unique needs of grandfamilies amplified by the pandemic.
We thank our board member Karyne Jones, president and CEO of the National Caucus & center on Black Aged, Inc., for emceeing the event.
According to Jones, Generations United’s report release was timely with September being Kinship Month.
Our report included honoring U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown with our 2020 Grandfamilies Champion Award.
Senator Brown, who couldn’t be with us, offered his acceptance speech through a video.
These grandfamily caregivers are the first line of defense for children during the pandemic, having stepped in when parents cannot raise them for many reasons, including cases where children’s parents have died from the COVID-19 virus.
Leading up to Senator Brown’s remarks, Jones, our emcee and board member, shared comments from a Generations United GRAND Voice Member on how the pandemic is impacting her family.
Our report includes stories from Generations United GRAND Voice Members Marisa Van Zile and Bette Hoxie along with a grandfamily connected to us by another Generations United GRAND Voice Member Victoria Gray, who also spoke at Tuesday’s event.
Ana Beltran, special advisor to Generations United’s National Center on Grandfamilies and the report’s author, helped contextualize these grandfamilies experiences by sharing the report’s key findings.
Those caregiver experiences hit home for Ana, who’s also a GRAND Success.
In addition to Victoria Gray, another Generations United GRAND Voice Member Gail Engel also shared her story.
Ali Caliendo — executive director of Foster Kinship, which is also featured in our report — shared how her organization is helping grandfamilies in Nevada. We also had a panel discussion, moderated by our Deputy Executive Director Jaia Peterson Lent.
Then Jaia closed the briefing.
Check out report, Facing a Pademic: Grandfamilies Living Together During COVID-19 and Thriving Beyond, to watch the event recording and listen to other stories of grandfamilies impacted by COVID-19.
