Through the Eyes of a Grandparent

Grandparents are taking a more central role in the early education and development of their grandchildren due to a growing national trend of children being raised in grandparent-headed households.  According to the Brookdale Grandparent Caregiver Information Project at the University of California Berkeley Center on Aging, the number of children living with their grandparents has increased by 50% just within the last ten years.

Did you know?

• Nationally, 4.5 million children are living in grandparent-headed households.
• In Texas, 448,439 children are living in grandparent-headed households.
• 247,074 grandparents in Texas are solely responsible for the care of their grandchildren including
  • 25,347 in Houston,
  • 15,075 in San Antonio, and
  • 15,019 in Dallas.

Grandparents assume responsibility of their grandchildren when the parents are unable to do so and many grandparents are fulfilling this role with few resources or supports.  As a result, local communities are developing kinship care coalitions to better support caregivers including the San Antonio Kinship Care Collaborative and the Kinship Care Coalition in Austin .

This month, TECEC has compiled key information for grandparents outlining local support groups, legal rights, state and federal support programs, and more.  We encourage you to share these resources with your colleagues to ensure grandparents in Texas are aware of help and assistance available.

 
Helpful Tools at the State Level:


State Fact Sheet for Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children  

Kinship Manual Developed by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services

 
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Assistance is available for grandparents caring for grandchildren living in their home.  Developed by the Health and Human Services Commission
 
 
Resource Links at the National Level:
 
USA.gov includes a compiled list of resources and benefits
 
AARP Foundation Grandparent Information Center (GIC)

Relevant Reports:
 
Elders as Resources Intergenerational Strategy Series.  Kinship Care: Supporting Those Who Raise Our Children
 
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: A Call to Action   
 
 
Kinship Care in Texas


Promising Practices in Encouraging and Supporting Grandparents and Relatives Raising Children
 
 
The Kinship Report:  Assessing the Needs of Relative Caregivers and the Children in Their Care 

 
 
Early Childhood Education Events:
 
Education Commission of the States (ECS) National Forum on Education Policy in Austin, TX June 30 – July 2 "Transforming Education for the 21st Century".  For more information, click   http://www.ecs.org/html/meetingsEvents/NF2008/NF2008_main.asp .