There's news about government funding for grandparents who are raising their grand children - grandfamilies. But it might not be what you're thinking.
We've talked before about grandfamilies - they're becoming more and more prevalent. These are the families where, for some reason, parents are gone or incapacitated so grandmother and grandfather take over the role of parenting for their grand children.
There is a news story right now about a pending announcement boosting financial assistant from the government to grand families.
The catch? The government in question is New Zealand. The headline, from Radio New Zealand online is "Government Minister Promises Actioon on Fostering by Grandparents." The shame is - this story is not much different from the stories we've seen periodically here in the U.S. and Canada.
Last month, Canadian MInister of Youth Services, Mary Anne Chambers announced, according to the Toronton Star, that grandparents may be eleigble for a $900 a month foster care stipend. Chambers noted that only about 10% of kids available for adoption in Canada find permanent homes. Road blocks to financial assistance prevent fmaily members form being able to offer such homes. Have you ever tried to raise a child on $900 a month?
Grandparents do their best to lobby, informally, for better assistance through local, state and federal representative and receive a lot of verbal empathy. But not much real help.
I see more and more groups forming - support groups for grand families - and they are doing their homework and working their butts off to make the plight of at least some of these blended families known. It's slow going. Governments are too busy, maybe with wars and things, to notice a growing crisis.
