National Grandparents Day
Sunday, September 7, 2014

Grandparents day this year is Sunday,  September 7th. But actually the whole month
of September is a chance to honor and celebrate grandparents everywhere!

Grandparents play an important role in all children's lives, but did you know there
are over 2.7 million grandparents raising their grandchildren in the U.S.? In 2012,
30% of children under five with working mothers were cared for on a regular basis
by a grandparent. In California over 10% of children are being raised by a grandparent
or other relatives.

· Over 625,000 children live in grandparent-headed households (6.8% of all the children
in the state), according to AARP research published in 2007.

· 25% of these grandparents live in households without the children's parents present;
67% are under the age of 60; and 16% live in poverty.

·In addition, almost 328,000 children live in households headed by other relatives
(3.5% of all the children in the state).

Grandparents and other relatives raising children deserve our praise, support, and
encouragement for taking on this huge responsibility. Often, these children come
to them when the children's own parents abandon them or when the children can no
longer live with them because of the parent's mental disorder, substance abuse, 
or incarceration. Many of these children have special needs or may have suffered
from abuse or neglect from their own parents.

Grandparents and other relative caregivers are encouraged to seek support for this
unanticipated stage of life. There are many resources available. Here are a few:

* Grandparent Café, Respite Program, Grandparent Support: The Resource Connection,
(209) 223-1624, ext. 208

Posted by TSPN TV on Friday, September 5, 2014