PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 24, 2011 — The number of children being raised by a grandparent or other relative is rising. One child in 10 in the United States lives with a grandparent. For four out of 10 of those children, that grandparent is the primary caregiver.
In order to discuss the unique and growing needs of second-time parents and their families, state Sen. Anthony H. Williams welcomes the public to attend a panel discussion on informal kinship care on Wednesday, Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to noon at Sayers Memorial Methodist Church, 61st and Catherine streets in Philadelphia.
For this workshop, he has again partnered with Turning Points for Children, Grands as Parents and the kinship care committee member organizations that participated in a conference earlier this year and that have dedicated their time and energy to continuing this important outreach.
“More and more grandparents and other relatives are stepping up to raise children when the parents are absent. We need to make sure that they are receiving the services and support they need,” Williams said. “This panel discussion will highlight the challenges of informal kinship care and how the community can help. I welcome all relative caregivers and their families to attend this informative talk.”
Panelists representing the Support Center for Child Advocates, the SeniorLAW Center, Grand Central Inc., Grands as Parents and a local grandparent raising three grandchildren will talk about the pros and cons, the myths versus reality of informal kinship care, to include related legal and financial topic issues. There will be plenty of opportunities for audience participation with the question-and-answer session at the end of the panelists’ presentations.
Attendees will also receive a free kinship care resource guide.
This session is the first in a series of panel discussions to be held as an outgrowth of the senator’s successful Helping Hands Intergenerational Resource and Information Conference in May 2011.
Williams is a vocal advocate for kinship caregivers. His Senate Bill 119, the Intergenerational Family Care Act, would help families in which children are being raised by their grandparents or other generation-skipping older relatives. If enacted, it would address critical needs identified at the conference, such as rental assistance, day-care assistance for working heads of households and development and improvement of intergenerational housing.
For more information, call 215-492-2980 or visit www.senatoranthonyhwilliams.com
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