Grandfamilies PTSA, Inc. Empowering Grandparents and Relative Caregivers to Support Children/Youths’ Academic Achievement Grandfamilies 1

Evolution of Grandfamilies PTSA, Inc. Baltimore Grandfamilies Community Partner City Schools Family and Community Engagement National PTA Urban Family Engagement Initiative Grandfamilies PTSA, Inc. 2 GPTSA

Grandfamilies PTSA, Inc.  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 3

Grandfamilies: Jaia Peterson Lent, Executive Deputy Director Grandparents & Other Relatives Raising Children A National Overview 4

Who is affected?  Any grandparent can unexpectedly find him or herself raising children  Phenomenon transcends socioeconomic groups, geographic areas and ethnicities Generations United 5

The Children  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 6

The Children 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 7

The Caregivers  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 8

The Caregivers  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 9

“Other people don’t realize how hard it is…or how gratifying it is.” Generations United 10

Why?  Substance abuse  Incarceration  Poverty  HIV/AIDS  Mental health  Child abuse  Death of a parent  Military deployment  And others Generations United 11

Caregivers Relationship Status  Without a legal relationship  Legal process can be exhausting Financial drain  Hope that child will ultimately return to parents’ 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 “Informal” Caregiver“Formal” Foster Care Generations United 12

What about Education?  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 United 13

What About Education “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 14

Evolution of GPTSA, INC. Baltimore Grandfamilies Community Partner City Schools Family and Community Engagement National PTA Urban Family Engagement Initiative Grandfamilies PTSA, Inc. 15

Grandparent’s Perspective 16 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 17 Experience working with schools and parent involvement.  Challenge to get information Information not sent in timely manner  Lack 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 18 Why GPTSA can be beneficial in reaching grand- parents 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 # 6- Collaborating with the Community.

Evolution of GPTSA, INC. Baltimore Grandfamilies Community Partner City Schools Family and Community Engagement National PTA Urban Family Engagement Initiative Grandfamilies PTSA, Inc. 19

National PTA Urban Family Engagement Initiative  Parents: Part of the Solution  Develop new models of parent engagement – locally driven  Mobilize volunteer leaders to address needs important to each community 20 A catalyst for mobilizing the Urban Community

National PTA Urban Family Engagement Initiative 21 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. Baltimore Grandfamilies Community Partner City Schools Family and Community Engagement National PTA Urban Family Engagement Initiative Grandfamilies PTSA, Inc. 22

Grandfamilies PTSA, Inc.  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 

GPTSA Strengths  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 24

GPTSA Collaborating With Community GPTSA Everychild.onevoice School Resource Mobile General Membership Sites Student Service Learning Community Partners 25

General Membership Meeting Sites 26 Cherry Hill, South Baltimore Faith Based Site Clare Court Stone House North East Intergenerational Community Johnson Square Academy West Baltimore Early Childhood Learning Center

Children/Youth Benefits  Learn how to become responsible accountable  Develop hopes, dreams and aspirations  Service Learning Training and Opportunities  Advocacy/leadership development 27

GPTSA Challenges  Independent of a Specific School Affiliation  No PTA Council  Digital Divide - Technology  Funding 28

Challenges Grandfamilies Face Grand- families HousingFood Health Issues School 29

Strengthening Family Connections: Enhancing Our Grandchildren’s Future 30 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

High stress Daily hassles Adverse life events Financial instability Inadequate resources Legal uncertainty Impact of discrimination Multiple traumas Parental stress Intergenerational conflict Spirituality Social network Parenting competence Attitude toward parenting Family functioning Attitude toward change Caregiver physical health Caregiver mental health 31 RISK FACTORSPROTECTIVE FACTORS Family Issues UM SSW

Contextual Risk 32  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  Strong relationship between social support and grand- parenting 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), 33 UM SSW

Making Place Matter Through Maryland Family Kin Connections 34  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)  Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health National Institute of Nursing Research 1R01NR 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 35 UM SSW

Federal Sources of Support  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 36

4th National GrandRally, September 15 th 37 Join us on September 15 th 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 4 th National GrandRally. Generations United

Collaborating with Community Partners Expanding Circle of Support National PTSA Urban Family Engagement Initiative GPTSA Leadership/ Advocacy Development Advocacy and Leadership Development UFIE Equipping Supportive Services 38 Addressing the NeedImpacting Change

National Organizations  Generations United  AARP  Brookdale Foundation  Children’s Defense Fund  Child Welfare League of America  Grandfamilies of America  National Committee of Grandparents for Children’s Rights 39

References  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,  Hayslip, B. & Kaminski. P. (2008). Epilogue. In B. Hayslip Jr. & P. Kaminski (Eds.), Parenting the Custodial Grandchild Implications for Clinical Practice, 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,  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,  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, 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,

Contact Information Annette Saunders, President Grandfamilies PTSA, Inc 823 Cherry Hill Road Baltimore, MD Jaia Peterson Lent Deputy Executive Director Generations United 1331 H St. NW Suite 900 Washington DC J anet Flemings, Program Chair Grandfamilies PTSA, Inc 823 Cherry Hill Road Baltimore, MD 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 Phone: Fax:

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