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College of Agriculture and Life Sciences |
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Impact Nugget Issue The majority of grandparents raising grandchildren have not had a dependent child in their household for 10 years or more. They may feel that they are failures because their children are not able to raise their own children. As a result of those feelings, grandparents are reluctant to seek the resources and services they desperately need. Many grandparents feel isolated because of the stigma of parenting for incapable or irresponsible parents. Their alienation from irresponsible family members prevents them from sharing decision making and support in caring for grandchildren. Grandparents may have health issues of their own, or develop them in caring for more family members. Grandchildren may have compromised health and learning issues resulting from in utero addiction. Many of these children do not have health insurance when the grandparents take over their care. “You think it’s going to be the same thing as raising your kids,” said one Flagstaff grandparent. “It’s not, at all.” What has been done? In Coconino county the KKONA collaboration has promoted the positive assets of grandparents raising grandchildren so that grandparents are more willing to ask for necessary resources. KKONA's participating grandparents range in age from the 40s through 70s. These grandparents break the stereotype because many are still working and struggling with issues of childcare and school-age learning disabilities. Nationally, 42 percent of grandparents are responsible for raising grandchildren; the average in Coconino County is 55 percent, or 10 percent above the state rate. In 2004 the KKONA program expanded to include a pilot grandparent mentoring program–the first in the country where grandparents assist with education, advocacy and support for other grandparents or family caregivers. The program includes 40 hours of training, followed by 40 hours of time volunteered to help other grandparents in the community, and monthly meetings. The program included 6 grandparent mentors in 2004, and 17 grandparent mentees. Also, a simulation workshop for members of Flagstaff, Phoenix and Tucson agencies was held–the first of its kind in the United States–where the participants shed their professional roles to become member of simulated families headed by grandparents. At the end of the day participants drew a resource map to identify what they learned about the challenges grandparents face when raising grandchildren and then what the system can do to better respond to grandparents' needs. Impact As the result of the KKONA mentoring program, three different grandparents/relative caregivers were reunited with their grandchildren through the support of mentors. One mentee got health insurance, and learned about other assistance she was eligible for. In another case, a youth whose parents are raising three grandchildren under age 3, in addition to himself, was able to learn to drive to help his family out, and got his first job. Mentors solicited funding for weatherization of grandparent homes and “adoption” of grandparent families by charitable organizations. Both efforts have resulted in thousands of dollars of support for grandparents. The KKONA Advisory Board grew from 14 agency and grandparent members in 2003 to 25 in 2004, including Flagstaff’s vice-mayor, two mental health professionals, a lawyer, eight grandparents, two social workers, a lawyer, two educators, two representatives from agencies on aging, an administrator from the DEA program on substance abuse, a representative from county government, four personnel from non-profit organizations, and a representative from the Department of Economic Security. The simulation workshop for area agencies included an unprecedented group of agencies working together for the first time: state-based DES, state-based Aging and Adult Services, Flagstaff Unified School District, TANF, Hopi Aging and Elderly, Hopi TANF and Hopi Guidance, local DES and others. The DES has requested 1,000 KKONA brochures to distribute to clients. KKONA now collaborates with 26 agencies to assist grandparents raising grandchildren. As awareness of grandparents raising grandchildren increases, KKONA found that agencies are more willing to provide services to them. For example, data on grandparent-raising-grandchildren households that was shared with local superior court judges resulted in presentations by the judges to the grandparents about preparing for court hearings. The school lunch policy in Flagstaff was reinterpreted to allow free lunches for grandchildren being raised by grandparents as a result of KKONA advocacy. The program has also resulted in successful reunification of grandparents or family relative caretakers with children who were temporarily removed from their homes. In particular, a grandfather was recently reunited with his four elementary aged grandchildren who had been placed in foster care. Testimonials: “I didn’t know [my] legal rights. Now seeking custody. [KKONA] has definitely made a difference.” –grandparent participating in KKONA conference “I definitely saved on legal expenses. After speaking with [legal aide] we were able to complete things on our own.” –grandparent “I don't know what I would have done without the support from KKONA. Having just moved to Flagstaff with my 5-year-old grandson, I had no one to turn to and felt alone and intimidated by the school system. During the first support group I attended, the other grandparents gave me the ideas and the confidence to stand up for myself and my grandson.” –a grandmother “I am so happy that an organization like KKONA exists because I had to raise my three grandchildren alone for the past 12 years. I wish something like this had been available for me in the past. I will be a partner with your organization because what you do is so important.” –a grandfather Funding Contact |
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