Grandparents Raising Grandchildren conference set for Oct. 18

When you find out you’re going to be a grandparent, what do you look forward to?

Babysitting once in a while? Taking the children for a walk? Cheering from the bleachers as they play basketball, or in the auditorium at their dance recital? Maybe you imagine yourself engaging in those pleasant pastimes while the parents of the children carry the responsibilities of everyday care.

But what if the parents of your grandchildren are unable to care for the little ones? What if you step in? Suddenly the day-to-day work, the decisions, the discipline, the helping with homework… it’s all on you.

“This is a very dynamic and growing demographic,” Howard Grossman said, citing the figures that 21,000 families in Northeastern Pennsylvania are among the 90,000 in the state that include grandparents — or aunts or uncles or other relatives — raising children.

He knows many of these caregivers could use some help, ranging from information about support groups to a chance to talk to attorneys about such topics as gaining legal custody.

To that end, he invites grandparents and other relatives to the 18th annual Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG) conference of the NEPA Inter-generational Coalition, set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Woodlands.

The keynote speaker will be State Rep. Eddie “Day” Pashinski, who has already shown his support for grandparents by introducing to the state General Assembly House Bill 931.

The bill was “laid on the table” in April, meaning discussion has been postponed. But if it passes, it would provide grants for non-profit organizations that provide legal services to kinship care families.

“Every family has a different story,” Grossman said, noting parents might be unable to care for their children because of death, incarceration, illness, military service or other reasons. “In 80 percent of the cases,” he said, “drugs are involved.”

Grossman, who chairs the NEPA Inter-generational Coalition, expects 70 to 80 people to attend the conference, which includes snacks and a hot lunch. To register, attendees may call Susan Harding at 570-822-1158 ext. 2383 or email Susan.harding@luzernecounty.org.

“Or you can just show up,” Grossman said, noting admission is free for grandparents raising grandchildren.

“Grandparents can go table to table and get a lot of information, a lot of handouts,” he said. “We always get a lot of questions, especially in the afternoon” (when the legal advisors will be present).

“Many kinship families are in low-income households, never expecting to have to raise their grandchildren, let alone pay for costly legal services needed to legally take care of their grandchildren,” Pashinski explained. “Evidence has proven there are more advantages of having at-risk children stay in a stable family environment, while relieving pressure on the local foster care system.”