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Economic Development and Quality of Life for People and Communities
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Issue
One in ten grandparents has been the primary support of a grandchild
at some time in his or her life. In Arizona, 7 percent of all children
under age 18 are living in a household headed by a grandparent. Figures
reported in the 2000 census show a 73.8 percent increase since the 1990
census with Arizona ranking fourth highest in increase of grandparent-headed
households nationally. Many organizations that provide services for
both generations are not prepared to deal with the special needs that
may arise. Legal options are limited and emotionally draining and financially
expensive.
What has been done?
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Southern Arizona Coalition (GRGSoAZ)
was formed in 1999 as an outgrowth of the National Satellite Conference
on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. Coalition members, and representatives
from grandparent support groups in Pima, Maricopa, Cochise, Graham and
Yuma counties worked together to determine needs and priorities. The
coalition includes 34 agencies providing services to grandparents and
grandparent caregivers.
In 2000, twenty coalition members gave approximately 1,032 volunteer
hours to complete 700 resource notebooks. These resource notebooks contain
material and community resources available in the following areas: support
groups, legal and financial issues, childcare and school support, parenting
tips, and nutrition and health issues. Notebooks were distributed free
throughout the community. The coalition also held an annual conference
for grandparents, hired a full-time coordinator, launched a grandparent
support website, and opened a new Kinship, Adoption, Resource Education
(K.A.R.E.) Family Center in Tucson in October 2001, the first for Arizona
and a model for other communities.
Impact
By the end of 2001 the number of monthly support groups for grandparents
had increased from 1 early in the year 2000 to 12. Between October and
December, the K.A.R.E. Center had 85 contacts from local grandparents,
and distributed 90 resource notebooks to them.
"Even though you've been a parent before, you haven't
been a parent to children with special needs in the kind of society
we have now. The resource notebook is wonderful and I wish there had
been a resource like this when I first received custody of my grandchild
eight years ago. There was no place to turn to for help at that time."
–Tucson grandparent raising her grandchildren
"I found the resources at the beginning of resource notebook to
be the most useful especially the section on problem solving and child
care school support."
—program specialist at Area Agency on Aging
Funding
Arizona Cooperative Extension and more than 30 local community agencies
Community Services Block Grants
Contact
Linda Block, assistant agent
Pima County Cooperative Extension
The University of Arizona
4210 N. Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719-1109
Tel.: (520) 626-5161, FAX (520) 626-5849
Email: lblock@ag.arizona.edu
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