Grandfamilies PTSA, Inc.
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Transcript Grandfamilies PTSA, Inc.
Grandfamilies PTSA, Inc.
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Empowering Grandparents and Relative Caregivers to
Support Children/Youths’ Academic Achievement
Grandfamilies
Evolution of Grandfamilies PTSA, Inc.
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GPTSA
Grandfamilies
PTSA, Inc.
City Schools
Family and
Community
Engagement
Baltimore
Grandfamilies
Community
Partner
National PTA
Urban Family
Engagement
Initiative
Grandfamilies PTSA, Inc.
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Welcome/Introductions
Annette Saunders, Founding President, GPTSA
Grandfamilies: A National Overview
Jaia Lent, Ex. Deputy Director, Generations United
Grandparent’s Perspective: Family, School, Community
National PTA Urban Family Engagement Initiative
Evolution of Grandfamilies, PTSA, Inc.
Maryland Kin Connection:
Fred Strieder, PhD, LCSW-C, University of MD School of Social
Work
References
Contact Information
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A National Overview
Grandfamilies:
Grandparents & Other Relatives
Raising Children
Jaia Peterson Lent, Executive Deputy Director
Who is affected?
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Any grandparent can
unexpectedly find
him or herself raising
children
Phenomenon
transcends
socioeconomic
groups, geographic
areas and ethnicities
Generations United
The Children
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About 6.7 million children
living in households headed
by grandparents
For nearly 1 million of these
children, no parent is present
in home
Higher incidence of physical
& mental health problems &
learning disabilities
27% live in poverty
Less likely to have health
insurance
Generations United
The Children
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Compared to children in
non-relatives’ care:
More likely maintain
connection to roots
Brothers & sisters
together
Stay in the same school
Families don’t give up
Generations United
The Caregivers
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2.5 million grandparents
report responsibility for
most of the basic needs
of grandchildren
60% more likely to live
in poverty than peers
67% under age 60
Generations United
The Caregivers
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60% still working
51% caregivers white,
24% black, 18% Latino
36% responsible for
more than 5 years
Many challenges
Also many joys and
unique gifts
Generations United
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“Other people don’t realize how hard it
is…or how gratifying it is.”
Generations United
Why?
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Substance abuse
Incarceration
Poverty
HIV/AIDS
Mental health
Child abuse
Death of a parent
Military deployment
And others
Generations United
Caregivers Relationship Status
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“Informal” Caregiver
Without a legal
relationship
Legal process can be
exhausting Financial
drain
Hope that child will
ultimately return to
parents’ care
“Formal” Foster Care
More than a fourth of
children in foster care
are with relatives
Vast majority of
children being raised
by relatives are
outside of the formal
foster care system
Generations United
What about Education?
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Federal Law (ESEA)
includes grandparents
raising grandchildren in
definition of parent BUT
grandparents still:
Have difficulty enrolling
children in school
Are often left out of
Individual Education Plan
process
Generations United13
What About Education
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“I realized this is the
first year my
grandchild has started
and finished the year
at the same
school…and she’s in
the sixth grade.”
Generations United
Evolution of GPTSA, INC.
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Grandfamilies
PTSA, Inc.
City Schools
Family and
Community
Engagement
Baltimore
Grandfamilies
Community
Partner
National PTA
Urban Family
Engagement
Initiative
Grandparent’s Perspective
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Janet
Flemings,
grandparent
with two
grandchildren
in public
school.
GPTSA
Founding
Program
Chair
Gifted grandson
Decision to skip grade
Told I had no voice as grandparent
High school counselor offered no support for
college application/financial aid process
Sought assistance from middle school advisor
Challenged granddaughter
Decision to repeat grade
Told I had no voice as grandparent
No resources to assist with dyslexia
Sought outside resources on my own
School wanted to use my resources
Grandparent Perspective
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Experience
working with
schools and
parent
involvement.
Challenge
to get information
Information
Lack
not sent in timely manner
of identity for grandparents
Lack
of support once grandparent group
started
Know that grandparents are at schools, but
invisible from central office down
Grandparents can be of no assistance as
volunteers
No refreshments provided for meetings
No administrators present at meetings
Grandparent Perspective of GPTSA
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Why
GPTSA
can be
beneficial
in
reaching
grandparents in
the
community.
An asset to our schools because it has
the ability to give grandparents the
opportunity to openly discuss concerns.
We meet in communities.
Already has a network of grandparents
that we see regularly.
GPTSA National PTA Family and
Community Standards: Goal # 6Collaborating with the Community.
Evolution of GPTSA, INC.
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Grandfamilies
PTSA, Inc.
City Schools
Family and
Community
Engagement
Baltimore
Grandfamilies
Community
Partner
National PTA
Urban Family
Engagement
Initiative
National PTA
Urban Family Engagement Initiative
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A catalyst for mobilizing the
Urban Community
Parents: Part of the
Solution
Develop new models of
parent engagement –
locally driven
Mobilize volunteer leaders
to address needs important
to each community
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National PTA
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Urban Family Engagement Initiative
Free
community –
wide events
that allow
families the
opportunity to
increase their
understanding
of meaningful
parent
involvement
and partner
collaboration
;;pw e events
that rents and
caregivers to
effectively m
“The information that I learned from attending
the PTA Parent Academy was information that
I needed when I was raising my children...
When I got home and told my great-grandson
what I had learned, he said to me, ‘Granny,
why didn’t you take me with you? That’s the
kind of information I need to know for
myself.’”
A. Foster, Great-grandparent and Founding GPTSA Treasurer
Evolution of GPTSA, INC.
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Grandfamilies
PTSA, Inc.
City Schools
Family and
Community
Engagement
Baltimore
Grandfamilies
Community
Partner
National PTA
Urban Family
Engagement
Initiative
Grandfamilies PTSA, Inc.
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Chartered May, 2011
Seven Member Executive Board
Year-Round Operational Calendar
Monthly Executive Committee Meetings
Membership $12 a year
Diverse Membership
Three General Membership Meetings
www.grandfamiliesptsa.org
GPTSA Strengths
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Empowering grandparents and community members
to proactively become informed, trained leaders
and advocates for education
Service Learning Training and Opportunities for
Students
Family & Community Collaboration
Intergenerational in scope -Community Partners
Approach
GPTSA
Collaborating With Community
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School
Resource
Community
Partners
GPTSA
Everychild.onevoice
Student
Service
Learning
Mobile
General
Membership
Sites
General Membership Meeting Sites
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Cherry Hill,
South
Baltimore
• Faith Based
Site
Clare Court
Stone House
North East
Johnson
Square
Academy
West
Baltimore
• Intergenerational
Community
• Early Childhood
Learning Center
Children/Youth Benefits
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Learn how to become responsible accountable
Develop hopes, dreams and aspirations
Service Learning Training and Opportunities
Advocacy/leadership development
GPTSA Challenges
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Independent of a Specific School Affiliation
No PTA Council
Digital Divide - Technology
Funding
Challenges Grandfamilies Face
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Housing
School
Grandfamilies
Health
Issues
Food
Strengthening Family Connections:
Enhancing Our Grandchildren’s Future
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Frederick H. Strieder,
M.S.S.A., Ph.D.
Program Director,
Family Connections
Grandparent Family
Connections
Trauma Adapted
Family Connections
University of
Maryland School of
Social Work
Ruth H. Young Center
for Families and
Children
Interaction Components
Understand families in their context
Develop a knowledge base about
all aspects of the families-in-context
Develop a model responsive to
families’ needs
Use current exemplars to provide
guidance
UM SSW
Family Issues
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RISK FACTORS
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High stress
Daily hassles
Adverse life events
Financial instability
Inadequate resources
Legal uncertainty
Impact of discrimination
Multiple traumas
Parental stress
Intergenerational conflict
PROTECTIVE FACTORS
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Spirituality
Social network
Parenting competence
Attitude toward parenting
Family functioning
Attitude toward change
Caregiver physical health
Caregiver mental health
UM SSW
Contextual Risk
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•
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Persons living in urban poverty share increased risk for
exposure to daily hassles and strains related to meager
resources, crowded conditions, etc.;
The challenges associated with hardship conditions and
exposure to traumas negatively affect individual functioning
(child and adult) by increasing distress;
Increased parental distress attenuates positive parenting
and, in turn, negatively influences family functioning; and
Parental and family functioning are associated with child
outcomes by increasing or reducing risk for development of
emotional and/or behavior problems.
(Whittlesey, S.W., et al.,Levendosky, A.A. and S.A. Graham-Bermann, Erel, O. and B. Burman) (in Kiser, 2006)
UM SSW
Parenting Practices Models
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Strong relationship between social support and grandparenting practices
(Ramaswamy, Bhavnagri, & Barton, 2008)
“Aging morale mediates the influence of social support on
grand parenting practices” (Ramaswamy, Bhavnagri, & Barton,
2008)
Increasing positive parent-child interactions and emotional
communication skills, teaching time out and parenting
consistency, and skill practice in sessions associated with larger
effects
(Kaminsky, Valle, Filene, & Boyle,2008),
UM SSW
Making Place Matter Through
Maryland Family Kin Connections
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National U.S. Children’s Bureau Grant
Initiative in 7 Maryland jurisdictions ( Baltimore City, Baltimore
Co., Prince George's Co., Montgomery Co., Washington Co. &
Charles Co.)
Serving relatives who are caring for family members (formal
and informal care)
Navigator responding to caregivers seeking assistance
Replicate 3 month Family Connections
UM SSW
Caring for Others as a Positive
Experience (COPE)
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Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes
of Health National Institute of Nursing Research
1R01NR012256-01 Revised
Ohio, Texas, California, & Maryland
126 grandmothers and grandchild
Participate in 10 week group
Interviews before and after the group and every 6 months to
2 years
Understand the benefit of parental cognitions, behavior
strategies, or support and information in caring for grandchild
UM SSW
Federal Sources of Support
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Respite Services
Food and Nutrition
programs
Health Care
Child Care
Specialized
Housing
Social Security
Temporary
Assistance for Needy
Families
Foster Care/Child
Welfare
Family Connections
Grants
National Family
Caregiver Support
Act
Generations United
4th National GrandRally,
September 15th www.grandrally.org
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Join us on
September 15th at
1:00 p.m. at the
U. S. Capitol in
Washington, D.C.,
as grandparents
and other relative
caregivers from
across the country
take part in the 4th
National
GrandRally.
Generations United
Collaborating with Community Partners
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Addressing the Need
Impacting Change
Supportive
Services
Expanding
Circle of
Support
National
PTSA
Urban
Family
Engagement
Initiative
GPTSA
Leadership/
Advocacy
Development
UFIE
Equipping
Advocacy and
Leadership
Development
National Organizations
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Generations United www.gu.org
AARP www.aarp.org
Brookdale Foundation
www.brookdalefoundation.org
Children’s Defense Fund www.childrensdefense.org
Child Welfare League of America www.cwla.org
Grandfamilies of America
www.grandfamiliesofamerica.org
National Committee of Grandparents for Children’s
Rights www.grandparentsforchildren.org
References
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Cohen, J. A. , Mannarino, A. P., & Deblinger, E. (2006). Treating Trauma and Traumatic Grief in Children and Adolescents. New
York: The Guilford Press.
DePanfilis, D., & Dubowitz, H. (2005). Family Connections: A program for preventing child neglect. Child Maltreatment, 10,
108-123.
Hayslip, B. & Kaminski. P. (2008). Epilogue. In B. Hayslip Jr. & P. Kaminski (Eds.), Parenting the Custodial Grandchild Implications
for Clinical Practice, 285-289. New York: Springer Publishing Company.
Henggeler, S. W., Schoenwald, S. K., Borduin, C. M., Rowland, M. D. & Cunningham, P. B. (1998) Multisystemic Treatment of
Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents. New York: The Guilford Press.
Kaminsky, J. W., Valle, L.A. Filene, J. H. & Boyle, C. L. (2008), A Meta-analytic Review of Components Associated with Parent
Training Program Effectiveness. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 36, 567-589.
Kiser, L.J. & Black, M.M. (2005). Family Processes in the midst of urban poverty: What does the trauma literature tell us?
Aggression ad Violent Behavior, 10, 715-750.
Ramaswamy, V., Bhavnagri, N. & Barton, E. (2008) Social Support and Parenting Behaviors Influence Grandchildren’s Social
Competence. In B. Hayslip Jr. & P. Kaminski (Eds.), Parenting the Custodial Grandchild Implications for Clinical Practice, 165-178.
New York: Springer Publishing Company.
Sheidow, A. J. & Woodford, M. S. (2003). Multisystemic Therapy: An Empirically Supported, Home-Based Family Therapy
Approach. The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, 11, 257-263.
Contact Information
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Annette Saunders, President
Janet Flemings, Program Chair
Grandfamilies PTSA, Inc
Grandfamilies PTSA, Inc
823 Cherry Hill Road
Baltimore, MD 21225
[email protected]
410-763-8093
823 Cherry Hill Road
Baltimore, MD 21225
[email protected]
443-386-9393
Jaia Peterson Lent
Deputy Executive Director
Generations United
1331 H St. NW Suite 900
Washington DC 20005
202-777-0115
[email protected]
www.gu.org
Frederick H. Strieder, Ph.D., M.S.S.A., LCSW-C
Clinical Associate Professor, University of MD
Baltimore School of Social Work
Director, Family Connections at Baltimore
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Phone: 410-706-5479
Fax: 410-706-1462
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Questions and Answers