(Dixon, IL) Almost 7.8 million children in America are living in homes where grandparents or other relatives are the head of the household; with more than 5.8 million children living in grandparents’ homes and nearly 2 million children living in other relatives’ homes. That compares to 4.5 million living in grandparent-headed households 10 years ago, according to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
These families are often called “grand families,” and they have been largely ignored in terms of providing resources to help them raise the children they have responsibility for. According to AARP, these grandparents and other relative caregivers and the children they are raising are often isolated. They lack information about the range of support services, resources, programs, benefits, laws and policies available to help them successfully fulfill their caregiving role.
In order to offer support to area grandparents and other relative caregivers, the Community that Cares project will present a series of four free learning events in September and October at the Whiteside County Health Department offices in Rock Falls and at Tampico High School.
September 17, 2013 5:30 pm Whiteside County Health Department Rock Falls
September 18, 2013 5:30 pm Tampico Elementary School
October 2, 2013 5:30 pm Tampico Elementary School
October 15, 2013 5:30 pm Whiteside County Health Department Rock Falls
Meals and child care will be provided.
An RSVP is requested. To RSVP or for more information contact:
Rock Falls Cafes: Stephanie Stichter 815-626-2230
Tampico Cafes: Tamara Wolf 815-625-0013 ext. 111
The event is sponsored by the Community that Cares (CTC) Project which is funded by the Illinois Children’s Healthcare Care Foundation. CTC has offered many other learning events over the past couple of years; Parent Cafés have seen good attendance by parents and other caregivers. One parent remarked, “The café was exciting and fun! It helps to know other parents are going through the same things and that they understood my feelings without any judgment.”
For more information about the series of learning events, contact Tamara Wolf, Parent and Family Coordinator at Sinnissippi Centers’ Sterling office at 625-0013.
