Cape Cod Neighborhood Support Coalition
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren has updated their easy to use, one-page resource flier for Parenting Grandparents who may need hep with legal, financial, or emotional support (1/2012). View, download, or print it: Parenting Grandparents-Mass.
Kerry Bickford is a custodial grandparent who lives and works on Cape Cod and is an appointee to the state's Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. If you'd like to contact her either to share your thoughts or for help connecting with others, please e-mail her: grandparents@capecoalition.com.
When children can't be with their parents, a grandparent's home can provide stability and comfort. This tip sheet helps grandparent caregivers understand how their grandchildren may be feeling, how to help children feel safe and secure in their home, and where to find support in their community if needed. Access the tip sheet by clicking here.
Cuando los niños no pueden estar con sus padres, el hogar de un pariente puede darles estabilidad y consuelo. Esta hoja de consejos, escrita para los que cuidan a los hijos de un pariente, les ayuda a entender cómo se pueden sentir los niños.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Monthly Support Group
This group will meet on May 21, 2012 because of the holiday on May 28th
The Bourne Council on Aging offers a free group on the fourth Monday of each month for grandparents who play a substantial role in the parenting of one or more of their grandchildren. The free group is led by Lois Carr and meets from 10 - 11:30 a.m. at the Bourne Council on Aging offices, Bourne Veteran’s Memorial Community Center, 239 Main St., Buzzards Bay. For more information, contact Lois at 508-759-0654.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Workshops
These workshops are designed specifically for parenting grandparents:
May 10, 10-12 noon: "Home and School Interventions for You and Your ADD/ADHD Grandchild" at the Bourne Senior Center 239 Main St. Buzzards Bay with Julie Sacchetti, certified parent educator. For more information or to register: 508-759-0653. This program is funded by a Title III grant from Elder Services of Cape Cod & the Islands.
May 17, 10-12 noon: "How to Better Understand Your Grandchild's Abandonment Issues" at the Bourne Senior Center 239 Main St. Buzzards Bay with Julie Sacchetti, certified parent educator. For more information or to register: 508-759-0653. This program is funded by a Title III grant from Elder Services of Cape Cod & the Islands.
May 24 and May 31 (please plan to attend both evenings): 5 - 8 p.m.:
"Grandparents Parenting Again" at Cape Cod Child Development (83 Pearl St., Hyannis). Participants will learn strategies that can help grandparents cope with the demands and stresses of their role and have the opportunity to discuss how this role affects everyone in the family, and learn strategies to lower their stress, feel more successful, and find meaning in parenting again.
Free child care! Free dinner 5 to 6 p.m. Free workshop 6 to 8 p.m.
To reserve your spot, please contact Beverly at beverly@capecoalition.com or 508-771-4336 ext. 1. Please help us spread the word. Click here for a downloadable/printable/shareable flier. The deadline to register is May 18th.
If you'd like to be sent an e-mail when this or other relevant information is updated, please click here.
Other Parent Education & Support Opportunities
The CCNSC compiles and distributes a free, monthly Cape and Islands-wide listing of workshops, meetings, groups and related programs for grandparents, parents, guardians and primary caregivers of children. If you would like to receive a copy by e-mail every month or check out the current edition, please click here or contact Paul Melville (paul@capecoalition.com). If you'd like to skip immediately to the most curent edition, Please click here.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Article in Common Ground
Our own Kerry Bickford and Family Continuity's Skip Stuck, co-wrote an article highlighting the reality of grandparent-led families in Massachusetts. It was published in Common Ground (The Newspaper of the New England Association of Child Welfare Commissioners and Directors) in February, 2010. Click here to read, download or print the article right now (PDF format).
Grandparents and Other Kin Task Force
The Cape Cod Neighborhood Support Coalition (CCNSC), Cape Cod Children's Place, the Department of Children and Families (DCF), and Family Continuity are currently spearheading a temporary task force specifically to look into and help address issues affecting grandparents and other kin who are raising children on Cape Cod and the Islands. If you or your organization would like to get involved, please contact Beverly Costa-Ciavola, CCNSC Executive Director, at 508-771-4336 ext. 1 or beverly@capecoalition.com.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Massachusetts Resource Guide
The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren have collaborated with several state agencies to compile a resource guide specifically for grandparents and other kin who are raising children in the commonwealth. You can view, download, and print it here:
Resource Guide for Massachusetts' Grandparents Raising their Grandchildren
Additional Resources: A Companion to the Grandparents Resource Guide
These documents are in PDF format. In order to view them, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. To download and install the latest free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader, please click here.