We now turn to another diverse family form. One in twelve children in the United States is being raised by a grandparent or relative. A couple of years ago, Primetime did a story on one such family, Nina McGonegal (57) of Delaware and her two grandchildren, Erika (16) and Matthew (13). Like many grandparents, she is caring for her grandchildren due to drug use and imprisonment of the middle generation.These families often face extraordinary challenges. Most do not have legal custody of their grandchildren (a messy court battle is often required), making the relationship a tenuous one. Many grandparents have to stop working in order to care for their grandchildren, making finances tight. "If the children they're raising were in foster care, their foster parents would receive on average, about $500 a month for each child. In Delaware, a grandparent receives $201 a month for the first grandchild, and $69 a month for the second child." In some states, no financial assistance is available.
'
Family and social policies often neglect to take into account the experiences of this family form, often placing roadblocks to services rather than alleviating them. Shouldn't we be supporting these grandparents in their efforts to care for and raise their at-risk grandchildren?
I read an article in the NY times that mentioned a grandmother was denied the ability to take care of her infant granddaughter; who was taken from her mother; because the grandmother was living with her 'life partner'. If the goal of DCFS is to keep the family together, why are grandparents being passed over? Since I am following adoption/foster care policy, I would say yes to support for grandparents. Grandparents should be recognized as a viable option when parents are not able to take care of their own children. However, what happens to the child/children if the grandparent dies? Where do they go...foster care. Not only that, but who is taking care of who, is the grandparent taking care of the child or is the child taking care of the grandparent?
ReplyDeleteThe research I've seen indicates that they majority of grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren are actually fairly young 40-70's. So I don't think the death rate would be that high.
ReplyDelete