Published: June 18, 2009 08:25 am      

Grandparents become parents

GAP offers support, resources

Imagine going from living a life of retirement to buying diapers, bottles, enrolling your grandchild in school and attending school functions.

Many grandparents are forced to make this transition overnight, according to Amy Robertson, program coordinator Madison County’s GAP (Grandparents as Parents) program that has been in operation since January.

The support group offers different types of assistance and resources to local grandparents who are raising their grandchildren.

Each GAP member is given a handbook that lists several resources and benefits available to them, including legal resources.

The number of grandparents who are now serving as parents to their grandchildren is growing, creating the need for more local assistance, she said.

“They’re extremely overlooked because a lot of them don’t receive any support from the state, whereas if they were a foster parent, they would get (financial assistance),” Robertson said. “Many of them already are on fixed incomes.”

Grandparents on fixed incomes who want to obtain legal custody of their grandchild could be met with some hurdles.

“A lot of grandparents want to go ahead with the adoption process, but that costs money,” she said.

Troubled economic times have played a role in the increasing number of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren.

“With the recession, more and more parents can’t afford their children,” she said. “So, they’re sending them to Grandma’s house.”

Another barrier grandparents face while raising their grandchildren is the advancement in technology, especially use of the Internet, Robertson said.

“They’re going to have to become literate in some things that they may have had no previous interest in,” she said.

In many cases, grandparents are thrust into the parental role because the biological parent has substance abuse issues and is unable to take care of the child, Robertson said.

Some common cases are because of neglect or incarceration, but in other cases, both parents may have passed away, she said.

“Almost 7 percent of children in the state are living in relative -or grandparent-headed households,” Robertson said.

The last data for Madison County was collected in 2000 and showed that 546 of the county’s children were living with another relative aside from his or her mother or father.

“I can’t imagine what those numbers are now,” Robertson said.

July’s GAP meeting will feature a representative from the Appalachian Defense Fund of Kentucky who will be able to answer any legal questions grandparents may have.

“It’s going to take grandparents standing up for their rights,” she said.

Children usually are better off when they are not a part of what Robertson referred to as “the system,” which is a common term used for foster care.

“They have the roots and stability of their families,” she said.

Being involved in the GAP support group also is better for grandparents rather than facing the trials of parenting alone, Robertson said.

“We offer support groups because this can be very isolating (for the grandparents),” she said. “Many of them find their friendships change, and they don’t have the freedom to do what they used to do. It’s nice to have a place to go speak with others who are in your same situation. The response has been very good in Madison County, but we’re still trying to get the word out.”

The GAP program is funded through the Head Start program that also assists Jackson, Clark and Powell counties. However, grandparents are not required to have a child enrolled in Head Start to be involved in the GAP program.

Call Robertson at 623-7233 for more information about the GAP program.

Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 624-6608.