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Impact Nugget Issue What has been done? Early coalition efforts included the development of resource notebooks containing information and community resources available on support groups, legal and financial issues, childcare and school support, parenting tips, and nutrition and health issues. Notebooks were distributed free throughout the community and are now available on the Web site: www.ag.arizona.edu/grandparents The coalition actively interacts with the Arizona Kinship Care Coalition in Maricopa County that comprises 15 agencies. In 2002, Coconino County Extension in collaboration with Northern Arizona Gerontology Association formed a support group for GRG and established an ethnically diverse 25-member advisory committee, Kinship Kare of Northern Arizona (KKONA), to identify critical needs and develop a vision to provide better services for kin caregivers in Northern Arizona. In 2003 Southern Arizona was selected one of three national sites by AARP to conduct five GPRG focus groups–one Native American, one Spanish bilingual and two diverse groups. The results of the focus groups and a national survey were published for the AARP’s 10th anniversary of The Grandparents Information Center in the publication, “Lean on Me: Support and Minority Outreach for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.” Coconino County received a Brookdale grant for $10,000 for two years. Impact In Pima County, the Kinship Adoption Resource Education (K.A.R.E.) Family Center, a One-Stop-Shop, has become a model for other communities nationwide. K.A.R.E. is a collaboration of Arizona's Children Association, Casey Family Programs, Pima Council on Aging, the UA Cooperative Extension and other community partners in Southern Arizona. The K.A.R.E. Family Center was the recipient of the Mutual of America Community Partnership Award 2004 Merit Finalist and received $10,000. During 2004, the K.A.R.E. Center received 1,400 new contacts from local grandparents and 591 kin caregivers participated in support groups in Pima County. Over the past three years, through leveraged funding and community collaboration, 775 GRG manuals were assembled with 750 distributed. Also in 2003-2004, Maricopa County provided outreach to 140 grandparents raising grandchildren through support groups, conference and one-to-one mentoring. Coconino County reached 311 caregivers through direct contact which is 18% of the GRG population in Coconino County and 63 percent of participants at their 2nd Annual Conference were GRG households. Three annual GRG Conferences were held in 2004 for northern, central, and southern Arizona. A follow-up telephone interview with participants from the Northern Conference reported, “ I didn’t know legal rights. Now I am seeking custody. Has made a difference.” “I definitely saved on legal expenses. After speaking with [legal counselor] we were able to complete things on our own.” “The KARE Center was there for us when we didn't know what to do.” –Tucson grandparents raising their grandchild “The resources in the GRG Resource Notebook have greatly increased my ability as a professional to assist grandparents raising grandchildren. The notebook has decreased the stress level of grandparents I work with.” --Case Manager from Area Agency on Aging. Funding Contact |
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