Sarah Hedden, B.S., MSW, J.D., is a supervising attorney with the Kinship Care Legal Services Program at a nonprofit law firm, the Center for Elder Law & Justice, in Buffalo, New York. FINANCIAL RESOURCES AARP Financial Planning for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: This is AARP's financial planning resource for older adults raising children. She also oversees the Preschool Development Grants (PDG); Preschool Pay for Success (PFS) Initiative; Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) and the Ready to Learn Television (RTL) grant programs. In 2012, Dr. Kleckley assumed the role of caregiver to her grandchildren who were facing homelessness due to their mothers illness. More information about the network of parent centers that support families of children with disabilities can be found at parentcenterhub.org. Sharon has a long history of advocating for children she is a past president of the Minnesota Kinship Caregivers Association and currently serves on the Minnesota Children's Justice Initiative (CJI) team and the Sherburne County Safe Child Council. Grandparents raising grandchildren. This resource guide will tell you where to find the help you need. Financial Assistance for limited incomes . The RAISE Family Caregivers Act, which became law on Jan. 22, 2018, directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a national family caregiving strategy On September 21, 2022, the Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren and the RAISE Family Caregiving Advisory Council held their second joint meeting to announce the release of the first-ever National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers. A three-part workshop series offered by Grand Central, Inc., in Philadelphia, this program provides kinship caregivers and their female youth (age 12 and older) with the opportunity to explore their creative side, heal their souls and feed their spirits though quilt making." CE Approval Collaborative Approval Period: Tuesday, July 12, 2022 through August 31, 2024. She has worked in the kinship arena for the last 10 years, serving on various committees, taskforces, and workgroups with a focus on foster, adopted, and kinship families at the local and state levels. Childs income and resources ONLY are considered (Caregivers income is NOT included in application), Legal custody or guardianship is NOT required, Caregivers must be caring for the child full-time without a parent in the home. The free clinic serves as a partner to deliver care to grandparents caring for grandchildren without health insurance. If they live close, invite them over for a family dinner. Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Northeastern Pennsylvania is an organization dedicated to offering both information and support to grandparents and other kinship caregivers and their families. In that position, she led policy advocacy with federal agencies and Congress and legal advocacy nationally to advance community living and inclusion, including in the areas of healthcare, Medicaid home- and community-based services, employment, housing, and education. Contact your state TANF program, or call your county social services office for more information on these programs. She received her Ph.D. from Duke University in clinical psychology, her MPH, focused on chronic disease epidemiology, from Yale University, and her B.A. This is your opportunity to ask for referrals. You also need to find out if your grandkids are eligible for Social Security, including benefits for children, survivor benefits or SSI. Grandparents who have legal custody of grandchildren have several resources for financial assistance through government agencies, social service organizations and private foundations. fact sheet, developed by the AARP Pennsylvania state office (2002), and various handouts distributed by the New York City Department for the AgingGrandparent Resource Center. The primary focus of this research program has been the elimination of mental and physical health disparities, as well as the assessment of caregiving-related stressors and outcomes. Phone numbers and addresses of county offices can be found in local directories and at the Extension Web site Contact: Matthew Kaplan, The Pennsylvania State University, 814-863-7871; E-mail: msk15@psu.edu, KinKidsGenerations Together at the University of Pittsburgh is the lead agency for KinKids. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Yvonne currently teaches as a full-time professor in the social work department at West Virginia State University. In the meantime, please feel free To add information to the directory, go to Intergenerational website. For help locating affordable or free legal assistance, visit FindLegalHelp.org, or call the Eldercare Locator at 800-677-1116 for referrals. This report will be delivered to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Congress, and the state agencies responsible for carrying out family caregiver programs. Harrisburg, PA 17120-2121 (717) 783-0686 Fax: (717) 780-4788 DISTRICT OFFICE: 152 S. Pennsylvania Ave. Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 (570) 825-5934 State Representative Eddie Day Pashinski 121st Legislative District Grandparents Raising Grandchildren A Resource Guide Sarah was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2015. Nevertheless, kinship caregivers and the organizations that represent them must work harder to ensure that lawmakers know the many challenges and joys the caregiver families experience, particularly in areas where Pennsylvania law can be improved to promote the best interests of the child and family. While these programs are unique to their respective communities, they all emerged from a desire to enhance the well being and outlook for kinship care families. You can also call the IRS publication line at 800-829-3676 and ask them to mail you the publications that further explain the aforementioned benefits. She has 3 biological adult children, 8 adopted children, and 9 former foster children for whom she is still mom. Assign specific roles such as finding a guest speaker on an area of special interest to the attendees. When such changes occur, there are steps kinship care providers can take to help themselves and others cope and maintain healthy relationships. Financial Help for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. Types of support include information about available services for caregivers; assistance in accessing services; individual counseling; organization of support groups; and training in decision making, respite care, and supplemental services to caregivers. More than ever, grandparent caregivers raise grandkids who need financial and emotional support. (Voice) 1-800-692-7462(TTY) 1-800-451-5886, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) . Web site, Census DataAdditional U.S. Census data on grandparents and grandchildren, University of Wisconsin Extension Resources, The Arizona Governor's Advisory Council on Aging--Support Group Training Manual Downloadable manual for kinship caregivers and grandparents raising grandchildren, with sections on starting, leading, and conducting a support group. Her 11-year-old granddaughter is a competitive cheerleader . Eligibility for financial assistance based on household income. A family caregivers income is not considered part of the child/childrens income. Allow one to two hours for the meeting. New York State Kinship Navigator They provide Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets, meals, free Christmas toys, and gifts. She advises on the development of performance measures for HRSAs geriatrics education programs. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Ms. Barkoff previously served as Director of Advocacy at the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, where she worked on a range of disability, healthcare, education and civil rights issues. Your income is not considered for the child to receive help. Skip to main content Prior to her current position, Tammy provided oversight and monitoring at the Federal level for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Parts B and C in the Office of Special Education Programs at the ED. Contact: Sandy Cross, Grand Central Kinship Care Resource Center at 215-557-1554. Review the list just before you talk with the person. State Fact SheetsThe Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children in Pennsylvania state fact sheet (developed jointly by the Child Welfare League of America, AARP, The Brookdale Foundation, Generations United, and the National Center for Resource Family SupportCasey Family Programs); . These cookies do not store any personal information. After the initial contact, don't wait to hear back. Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Learn who is in charge of the services you need. When caregivers' needs are met, they can fully focus on the best interests of the children in their care and create a safer, more stable, and consistent living environment for children. Positive emotions, like the love you feel for your grandchildren, the joy in seeing them learn and grow, and relief at giving them a stable environment, are easy to acknowledge. He is past president of the Council on Community Resources. For these families, a little help can go a long way towards helping them raise their children in their care. Advancing independence, integration, and inclusion throughout life, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, Get instructions for navigating this site, ACL A to Z: Programs, Networks, & Focus Areas, Americans with Disabilities Act National Network, Senior Centers and Supportive Services for Older Adults, State Councils on Developmental Disabilities, University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Aging and Disability Resource Centers Program/No Wrong Door System, Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, State Health Insurance Assistance Program, Transportation Research and Demonstration Program, The Presidents Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, For American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, Advanced Rehabilitation Research and Training (ARRT) Program, Disability and Rehabilitation Research Program, Field-Initiated Projects Program Rehabilitation Research, Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center Program, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) Program, Small Business Innovation Research Program, National Family Caregiver Support Program, Support for People with Limb Loss, Paralysis and TBI, Strengthening the Aging and Disability Networks, Aging and Disability Evidence-Based Programs and Practices, Duals Demonstration Ombudsman Program Technical Assistance, Volunteer Opportunities and Civic Engagement, Projected Future Growth of Older Population, Reports to Congress and the President, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Medicare Improvements for Patients & Providers Act, Connecting to Specific Programs or Services, 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act, Advisory Council Year One Progress Report, COVID-19/Emergency Preparedness Resource Guide for Kinship Families and Grandfamilies, National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, April 2020 SGRG Advisory Council Meeting Overview and Outcomes 4/23/2020 (PDF), Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Advisory Council Meeting, Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Meeting, Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Council Photos, Disability Assistance and Information Line. Use AARP's Benefits QuickLINK tool to find out if you or your grandchild may qualify for 15 public benefits 10 for adults and families and five for children. In November of 2018, he served on the Kinship Action Planning Group to provide recommendations regarding a menu of supports for kin families. The Family Support Program also provides community based services for at-risk children and families including coaching and mentoring, respite, after school . Go to: www.childrensdefense.org and in the search area, type in kinship care resource kit. Other tax credits are the Child Tax Credit and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. She is the recipient of the 2011 University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing Outstanding Nursing Alumni Award and numerous Public Health Service awards. 800- 843-6154 (press option #1) < www.dhs.state.il.us >. Or call your county social services office for more information about the of. 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