Kinship Program
Project Summary
Grandparents are assuming a growing role in the upbringing of their grandchildren due to a confluence of demographic and societal factors that have limited the ability of parents to independently provide care for their children. The various factors leading to these substantial caregiving responsibilities for grandparents are diverse, affecting our society in unequal and disproportionate manners. These factors include incarceration, addiction, loss of life due to gun violence, domestic abuse, parental immaturity, and a range of other challenges.
Our proposal involves the establishment of a wraparound service program tailored to tackle the above issues. To ensure its financial feasibility, the program will initially operate locally, serving as a pilot to showcase its effectiveness. This pilot program may incorporate some or all of the following components:
Funded mental health support dedicated to providing services directly to grandparents and grandchildren.
Direct financial support of grandparents for the children's basic needs (food, clothing, school supplies, etc.)
Health insurance assistance for grandparents to relieve them of time spent struggling with the health system and give more time to concentrate on child caregiving
Respite program for both grandparent and child for activity time (for the grandparent, everything from shopping and getting nails done; for the child, outings including transportation to for example Museums or African American History classes)
Housing support capacity to provide guidance to grandparents to navigate the housing system
CMU student support for technology fluency in the home, networking, setup, training
CMU support around career wayfinding for the students
Trade school support for student career skills training
Support group meeting twice a month with grandparents within a geographic zone
Project Committee
Carol Hardeman
Jarmayne Brewer
Terry Fuller
Lenora Thomas
Terri Shield
Neoshe Jenkins
Rochelle Jackson
Terri Minor-Spencer
