Conference
Addresses Needs of Grandparents
Raising Children
Nearly
300 grandparents and professional experts gathered at the Fordham
University Lincoln Center campus recently to attend a conference
addressing problems faced by older New Yorkers who have assumed
the responsibility of raising their children’s children. The conference,
entitled “Building A Partnership For Success: Grandparents and
Systems United” was organized by the New York City Department
for the Aging and the New York City Kincare Task Force.
“We
cannot ignore the concerns of the more than one million grandparents
nationwide who are raising their grandchildren,” said Commissioner
Herbert W. Stupp of the Department for the Aging. “These older
people, who thought their parenting days were over, are now caring
for their children’s children – many of whom, because of their
parents’ absence, have enormous problems and social needs.”
Many grandparents take on their new responsibilities under emergency
conditions without advice to guide them through a maze of complex
decisions about legal custody, guardianship, foster care and kinship
foster care alternatives.”
The conference featured a panel of grandparents who addressed
issues to professional experts from New York City agencies and
organizations to develop creative solutions to the problems grandparents
face while trying to provide for their grandchildren.
Keynote speaker Joseph Crumbley, Ph. D., a kinship care expert
and author, focused on streamlining service provider response
to the unique situations faced by grandparents who head “skipped
generation” households.
Sixteen workshops provided education and information on a wide
variety of topics including legal and financial issues, policy
and advocacy issues, and developmental and system issues.
Commissioner Stupp pointed out that following the tragic events
of September 11th, there is every indication that many
additional children were left parentless, leaving grandparents
or other relatives to raise them. He urged all older New Yorkers
who know of these situations to call the Grandparent Resource
Center for assistance in these difficult times. The Center can
be reached at 212-442-1192 during business hours.
Education Update, Inc., P.O. Box 20005, New York, NY 10001. Tel:
(212) 481-5519. Fax: (212) 481-3919. Email: ednews1@aol.com.
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