Grandmother to Grandmother New York to Tanzania Brookdale

Grandmother to Grandmother: New York to Tanzania Brookdale RAPP Conference Denver, CO April 29, 2011

Grandparents as Global Safety Net • Traditional role of grandparents to provide care in many cultures • Traditional family structures disrupted; grandparents as primary caregivers • As traditional role evolves • • Difficult Burden Overwhelming Threatens survival 2 AARP

Family Crisis or Chronic Problems Ø Primary reasons vary across the globe • Substance abuse • HIV/AIDS • Armed conflict; military deployment • Financial hardships, poverty, recession • Work – unemployment; education; labor force migration • Non-intact families; single parents; divorce • Mental health • Incarceration • Teen pregnancy • Child abuse and neglect • Family violence 3 AARP

Challenges and Needs • Financial • Legal • Work • Housing & Safety • Physical Health • Mental Health 4 AARP

Challenges and Needs • Education, Childcare & Special Needs • Family Relationships • Who will care for elders • Support • Navigation to Information, Services and Resources 5 AARP

A Global Issue • U. S. – Over 4. 5 million children in grandparents’ home; 1 in 10 children; largest number white; higher % of African American and Hispanic; grandparents organizing • Europe - lack of data; recent poll 29% of grandparents lived with grandchild in UK; UK research suggests grandparents most likely to provide kinship care • Canada – 62, 500 children raised by kin; few supports; Can. Grands 6 AARP

Global Grandparents Raising Grandchildren • China – rural labor force migration; missing generation • Viet Nam – HIV/AIDS primary problem and terrible stigma; support programs; vision • East Africa – over 12 million children orphaned due to AIDS • Australia – grandparent networks and support groups; public benefits 7 AARP

Grandmothers to Grandmother • Women are disproportionately affected in both developed and developing countries • Cultural expectations • Major sacrifices, including health and economic security/work 8 AARP

Effective Collaborative Strategies • Systems integration and coalition building – Aging, child welfare, families, human services, education, housing, labor… • • Private and public partnerships Legislative advocacy Volunteer programs Grassroots grandparents 9 AARP

Successful Programs & Resources • Financial assistance • Support groups & Respite • Work, education/training; micro-business • Housing for grandfamilies • Legal assistance, pro se • Health care support • Navigation • Respite 10 AARP

Key Approaches • Culturally Appropriate • Connect with schools, churches, community centers • Key community leaders • Grandparents take leadership role • Strengths-based 11 AARP

How can the nations across the globe work together to help grandfamilies? There is hope for all generations when we work together to strengthen families 12 AARP

Highlights from Grandmother to Grandmother: New York to Tanzania www. olddogdocumentaries. com 13 AARP