Family Resource and Youth Services Centers Provide
Support for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Support for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
The latest census estimated that 39,000 Kentuckians are raising their grandchildren in Kentucky. It also revealed that 78,000 Kentuckians have minor grandchildren in their household, yet not formally with guardianship status. In response to this growing issue, the Family Resource and Youth Services Centers in Pulaski County began a grandparents support group for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren.
This support network provides a forum where grandparents can share their successes and struggles as well as gain a wealth of knowledge about the legal, social, economic, and emotional issues involved in raising a grandchild. The group was started in April 2000 and has steadily grown every year. This past February, group members participated in the national Grandparents Raising Grandchildren teleconference which further emphasized the national concern about the growing number of grandparents who have primary responsibility for their grandchildren.
The success of the group expands as more and more grandparents attend the monthly sessions. Further success was indicated when the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service and the Kentucky Office of Aging Services recently featured the Pulaski County support group in their July newsletter as a model for providing support for community members in unique situations.
Guest speakers from community agencies are also invited to the sessions to describe services and support available to grandparents. Speakers have included personnel from Family Court, Protection and Permanency, Legal Aid, and Aging Services as well as extension agency personnel who offer nutrition classes. Time is also scheduled for open discussion and lunch.
The support group meets at noon on the 4th Monday of each month at the County Extension Office. Lunch is provided and the sessions are free. For more information contact any Family Resource or Youth Services Center at any school in Pulaski County.