Conference Addresses Needs of Grandparents Raising Children

Nearly 300 grandparents and professional experts gathered at the Fordham University Lincoln Center campus recently to attend a conference addressing problems faced by older New Yorkers who have assumed the responsibility of raising their children’s children. The conference, entitled “Building A Partnership For Success: Grandparents and Systems United” was organized by the New York City Department for the Aging and the New York City Kincare Task Force.

“We cannot ignore the concerns of the more than one million grandparents nationwide who are raising their grandchildren,” said Commissioner Herbert W. Stupp of the Department for the Aging. “These older people, who thought their parenting days were over, are now caring for their children’s children – many of whom, because of their parents’ absence, have enormous problems and social needs.”

Many grandparents take on their new responsibilities under emergency conditions without advice to guide them through a maze of complex decisions about legal custody, guardianship, foster care and kinship foster care alternatives.”

The conference featured a panel of grandparents who addressed issues to professional experts from New York City agencies and organizations to develop creative solutions to the problems grandparents face while trying to provide for their grandchildren.

Keynote speaker Joseph Crumbley, Ph. D., a kinship care expert and author, focused on streamlining service provider response to the unique situations faced by grandparents who head “skipped generation” households.

Sixteen workshops provided education and information on a wide variety of topics including legal and financial issues, policy and advocacy issues, and developmental and system issues.

Commissioner Stupp pointed out that following the tragic events of September 11^th, there is every indication that many additional children were left parentless, leaving grandparents or other relatives to raise them. He urged all older New Yorkers who know of these situations to call the Grandparent Resource Center for assistance in these difficult times. The Center can be reached at 212-442-1192 during business hours.

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