An estimated 2.7 million children in the United States are being raised by grandparents, other relatives, or close family friends
Grandfamilies face unique challenges and often are eligible for support from federal programs, but awareness of benefits is not widespread
Casey launches guide to resources available to grandfamilies a month after introducing the Informing Grandfamilies Act
Washington, D.C. - Today, in honor of National Kinship Care Month, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, launched a new resource guide for grandparent caregivers. An estimated 2.7 million children in the United States are being raised by grandparents, other relatives, or close family friends. Though so-called “grandfamilies” or “kinship families” are often eligible for federal support due to unique challenges and disproportionate risk of poverty, awareness of these benefits is often not widespread among grandparents. Last month, Casey introduced the bipartisan Informing Grandparents Act, which would require states to provide grandfamilies with information about the resources available to them, all of which is contained in Casey’s new resource guide.
“Grandparents raising grandchildren face unique challenges under difficult circumstances,” said Chairman Casey. “In recent years, the need for ensuring these families are supported has become even more dire as the opioid crisis and COVID-19 pandemic have forced more and more grandparents to take on unexpected caregiving duties. I am releasing this resource guide to ensure that grandparent caregivers know about and can take advantage of the resources they need and deserve.”
Senator Casey has been a strong advocate for grandfamilies and kinship families for years, with a particular focus on ensuring they are able to access the benefits and resources they need to thrive. He led the passage of the bipartisan Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act, which established the Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, tasked with providing recommendations to Congress on how best to support grandparent caregivers. In May 2023, he introduced the bipartisan Grandfamily Housing Act, which would finance the upkeep and retrofitting of intergenerational housing and provide supportive services for grandfamilies and kinship families. Senator Casey also introduced the Grandfamilies Act to improve the financial security of grandfamilies by expanding access to benefits. Senator Casey also introduced the Grandfamilies Act to improve the financial security of grandfamilies by expanding access to benefits. Casey’s Informing Grandfamilies Act would not only require states to provide all of the resource guide’s vital information to grandfamilies, but also to hire staff or contract with a community-based with the necessary expertise to guide grandfamilies and kinship families through the benefit process.
Access the resource guide here.
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