According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 4.5 million children in the United States are living in households headed by grandparents. In Oklahoma alone, there are over 57,000 children living with their grandparents. This is approximately 6.5% of the children in this state. These figures indicate that thousands of grandparents across Oklahoma have made the life-changing decision to dedicate themselves to raising a child at a time in their lives when they should be looking forward to more leisure and less responsibility.
The reasons to take over this parenting role vary from case-to-case. Causes may include such things as the parent’s illness (mental and/or physical); substance abuse; unemployment; incarceration; death; divorce; and/or poverty. Regardless of the reasons, however, grandparents faced with raising a grandchild may experience an array of feelings and stresses. They are concerned about the welfare of their own child (the parent) and, at the same time, about their grandchild. Moreover, while there may be many positive results from taking on a parental role late in life, the daily reality of raising a young child is incredibly demanding…financially, physically, and mentally.
Oklahoma has a handful of government-sponsored programs geared to help grandparents as they raise their children’s children. Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS), Aging Services Division, has established a statewide Grandparents Initiative with three main components: an annual statewide conference for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren; a resource guide, “Starting Points for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren; a Grandparent’s Information Clearinghouse, the Oklahoma Area-Wide Service Information System (OASIS), toll-free at (800) 42-OASIS.
DHS has also helped to develop a Lifespan Respite Program for all caregivers, including grandparents raising children, having an annual income of $60,000.00 or less. Once approved for the program, DHS issues a voucher to the caregiver that can be used to purchase respite services.
Additionally, Oklahoma has formed a Grandfamilies Housing Task Force to address housing issues for grandfamilies. Although still in its planning stages, this task force is working toward a new housing project for the benefit of low and moderate-income grandfamilies. This housing complex, planned for a town west of Oklahoma City, would be specially designed to meet the intergenerational needs of grandparents raising their grandchildren, e.g., grab bars in tile, wheelchair ramps, and toddler-proofed outlets.
For more information on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, see the following websites: AARP Grandparent Information Center (www.aarp.org); Generations United (www.gu.org); Grandparenting Today (www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/grandparent); Grandsplace (www.grandsplace.com); Off Our Rockers (www.sonic.net/thom/oor).
|
