Kincare Grandparents

Unfortunately, despite the growing number of “grandfamilies” in the United States (more than 2.5 million grandparents are primarily responsible for a child), few people outside of those directly affected are educated about the challenges these families face. To combat this lack of awareness, some states have enacted kinship navigator programs to offer assistance and support to kinship caregivers. Currently, there are programs of some sort in New Jersey, Ohio, Washington, Connecticut, and New York. Other states don’t have statute-established programs, but still offer programs with similar functions.The purpose of a kinship navigator program is to educate grandparents on the benefits and services that are available, with follow-ups to ensure that the families receive as much continual support as possible. As many kinship caregivers have discovered, there are many legal issues involved with caring for a grandchild. These programs “navigate” the murky legal waters of the issue and help families access the health insurance and grants that they desperately need. (Read the article)

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