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VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 11 | AUGUST 2023
View this Newsletter as a Webpage
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This month, we’re promoting our September webinar, sharing four new resources from the Network, and highlighting other information and opportunities from around the field. Please read on for more information.
Please share your latest resources, news articles/blog posts, upcoming events, and other highlights with us. They may be featured in our next newsletter! All of our previous newsletters are now linked on our website, so you can access them anytime.
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Register for Our September Webinar! | |
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This webinar, taking place from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, September 12, will feature Network Subject Matter Expert Marina Nitze, who will debut the Kin-Finding Toolkit, featuring promising practices that have been helping child welfare agencies across the country to increase their kin placement rates. Every highlighted practice will be accompanied by the real-world tools necessary to its implementation, such as sample policy language and forms.
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What's New From the Network? | |
Black Kinship Families and the
High Cost of Loving
This video presents three separate conversations between Karyne Jones – the President and CEO of the National Caucus & Center on Black Aging, Inc. – and grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. Rhodena Arnold is raising her grandson and her niece and nephew in Chicago, Illinois; Rod Johnson is rearing two of his grandsons in Orlando, Florida; and Shirley Littlejohn is raising three great-grandchildren in Capitol Heights, Maryland. Each caregiver has a different story, different circumstances, and a different perspective to offer, but all three have found that raising their grandchildren leads to both joy and significant challenges.
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School Breakfast and Lunch Programs for Grandfamilies and Kinship Families
Our subject matter experts at the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) prepared this resource for kin/grandfamily caregivers. Share this resource with the caregivers you serve to help them learn about eligibility and applications for free and reduced-price school meals and related information.
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Monthly Resource: Getting the Child You Love the Educational Support They Need
Our monthly two-pager for August centers around school and is designed to be given directly to caregivers, as part of our work to help you support them. As always, this short resource includes links to additional information. We are grateful to our partners at ZERO TO THREE for their leadership in producing these monthly resources and to Subject Matter Experts, GRAND Voices, and management committee members Gail Engel and Sarah Smalls for their helpful reviews.
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Evaluation Resources for Kinship Programs
To accompany our July webinar, “Building Evidence of Success for Kinship Programs: Tips and Strategies,” our presenters – Subject Matter Expert Dr. Angelique Day, of the University of Washington, and Berenice Rushovich, of Network managing partner Child Trends – compiled a resource list and sample data sharing agreements.
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In this monthly section, we'll share a tweet or other small bit of information that you can easily copy and share.
This month, we're promoting our September webinar.
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The @GensUnited Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network is hosting a webinar! Subject Matter Expert @MarinaNitze will debut the Kin-Finding Toolkit, which features promising practices and tools for implementation.
Tues., Sept. 12
2 pm ET
Register: https://www.gksnetwork.org/events/improving-your-results-in-kin-finding-and-placement/
This draft is styled for Twitter; for other social media platforms and newsletters, please tag/mention Generations United and use the full name of the Network (Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center).
The graphic can be copied and included in your promotion. If you use the graphic, please be sure to add alternative text so that people with visual disabilities have equal access to the content of the graphic.
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Individual Technical Assistance Spotlight | |
The Network is responding free of charge to individual technical assistance (TA) requests from professionals who work in systems and organizations that serve kinship/grandfamilies. To date, we have responded to TA requests from 47 states and territories.
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To request assistance on the array of issues impacting kinship/grandfamilies, please complete our request assistance form.
Here is an example TA request and response.
Request
My organization is developing a new program to serve kin caregivers. What strategies would you recommend for reaching the families?
Response
Outreach to kinship/grandfamilies can be challenging because some do not recognize or relate to these terms used by professionals. When creating flyers and ads, try using language like, “Are you raising a child of a relative or friend?”
Connecting and partnering with other agencies and organizations is key for targeted outreach. If you’re not already working with these agencies/organizations, here are a few we would recommend starting with:
- Courts
- Local TANF and SNAP offices
- Schools
- Aging agencies
- Family Resource Centers
- 2-1-1 Directory
- Food pantries
- Community-based and faith-based organizations
The Network has two recorded webinars that may provide some insight on which organizations to partner with and how to make those partnerships work.
Lastly, partnering with caregivers and individuals with lived experience ensures the services offered are relevant and useful to the families you hope to serve. Check out the resource below for tips on engaging kinship/grandfamilies.
To make an individual request, please complete this form and we will get in touch.
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Presentations About the Network | |
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We really enjoyed meeting those of you who were able to attend the Generations United conference in Washington, DC during the last week of July. Thanks to our presenters and attendees, the conference was a big success, and we were so glad to be able to connect with you, help you connect with each other, and learn with and from you.
On Tuesday, August 29, Network Director Ana Beltran will conduct a staff training on adoption and guardianship at the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption headquarters in Dublin, Ohio. The Foundation invited Ana to repeat a plenary session she led at the May 2022 Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Summit. With support from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Generations United has created a brief, a national comparison chart, and 35 state-specific charts that focus on adoption and guardianship for children in kinship foster care. To partner with Generations United to create a state-specific chart, reach out to Chelsi Rhoades, Public Policy & Advocacy Coordinator, at [email protected].
On Wednesday, September 13, Network Technical Assistance Specialist Shalah Bottoms will present “Practices and Resources for Serving Kinship Families” at the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance’s Child Abuse Prevention Symposium.
On Tuesday, September 19, Ana will be on the Kinship Standards Panel at the 2023 NARA Annual Licensing Seminar. NARA is the National Association for Regulatory Administration, a membership organization of foster care and other licensors.
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What's New Around the Network? | | |
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Child Welfare and Housing Agency Partnerships that Support and Unify Families Through Family Unification Program Housing Vouchers Webinar
CSH and Casey Family Programs
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET
This webinar will focus on the intersection of housing and child welfare and how Family Unification Program federal housing vouchers can support the well-being and stability of families involved with the child welfare system. Participants will explore topics elevated within the recently released briefs on Family Unification Program family housing vouchers, including partnership strategies and operational guidance for Public Child Welfare Agencies, Public Housing Agencies, and other partners. In addition to CSH and Casey Family Programs representatives, the webinar will feature practitioners from Public Housing Agencies and Public Child Welfare Agencies who will share experiences working with the Family Unification Program.
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Children Living in Grandparent-Led and Multigenerational Families: Implications for Policy and Practice Webinar
Institute for Research on Poverty, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET
While the stays may be relatively short, overall, about 30% of children will live in a multigenerational or skipped-generation household at some point during their childhood. This is even more common for children of color and for those whose adult family members are low income. In this webinar, Natasha Pilkauskas of the University of Michigan, J. Michael Collins of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and LaShawnda Pittman of the University of Washington will examine the scope of the issue and its implications for child wellbeing and security, as well as opportunities in policy and practice to support these children and their adult household members.
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Families Are Stronger Together: TANF & Child Welfare Partnering for Prevention Learning Community (FAST-LC)
Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Self-Nominations Due By 6:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 7, 2023
This new learning community will center on preventing family involvement in the child welfare system through developing, implementing, and enhancing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)-Child Welfare innovations and partnerships. The FAST-LC is a one-year initiative slated to launch in September 2023 and conclude in September 2024. It will involve up to 10 state and tribal TANF programs.
Request a self-nomination package and ask questions by emailing [email protected].
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Webinar Recording: Supporting Black Adoptive and Kinship Families
Center for Adoption Support and Education
Available Until Monday, August 28, 2023
The July webinar from the Center for Adoption Support and Education explores the unique dynamics of parenting for Black adoptive and kinship families. Presenter Lynne White Dixon, LCSW Clinical Social Worker, considers the seven core issues in adoption and permanency through an African American/Black lens and provides tools and strategies for supporting Black adopted children and their families, including addressing racism when parenting. There is a CEU version and a non-CEU version, and each costs $15.
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Practical Guide for Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
This practical guide updates and expands the discussion presented in SAMHSA's Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach Resource from 2014. The primary goal of this guide is to provide implementation strategies across multiple domains.
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Understanding Disabilities in American Indian & Alaska Native Communities Toolkit Guide
National Indian Council on Aging, Inc. and National Council on Disability
This guide contains 11 chapters and a disability etiquette handbook. The first chapter provides an introduction and the following chapters cover health care, sports and recreation, education, independent living, vocational rehabilitation and employment, assistive technology, transportation, accessible housing and facilities, key elements of effective programs, and advocating change.
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AAA Social Engagement Programs and Partnerships Fact Sheet
USAging
This new fact sheet from USAging focuses on the social engagement at Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and notes that 30% of all AAAs offer special programming specifically for kin/grandfamily caregivers. The fact sheet also lists other social engagement programs and activities that are available through AAAs, as well as partnerships that AAAs leverage to provide additional social engagement opportunities.
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Court Improvement Programs: Collaboration Between Child Welfare Agencies and Legal and Judicial Communities Fact Sheet
Child Welfare Information Gateway, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The Court Improvement Program provides Federal funds to State and Tribal courts to support efforts to improve child welfare court practices, including collaboration between courts and the title IV-B and title IV-E child welfare agencies. This fact sheet focuses on collaboration and relationship building between legal and judicial communities and child welfare agencies and provides several examples of successful and promising approaches.
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Centering Youth Mental Health: Multi-Year Funding for Local Coalitions that Support Adolescent and Young Adult Mental Health
CVS Health Foundation
Applications Due By 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, September 8, 2023
The CVS Health Foundation intends to collaborate with community-based, multi-sector coalitions that are seeking to create sustainable, systems-level improvements in cities or counties. This five-year initiative will launch in October 2023 in up to four sites across the United States. City- or county-level coalitions will each be awarded a total of $1,000,000 to implement strategies that increase young people’s access to the evidence-based care, programs, and conditions that promote positive mental health outcomes. This initiative aims to bridge care gaps for the most vulnerable adolescent and young adult populations, especially those who (1) identify as female, BIPOC, and/or LGBTQ+; (2) live in communities with limited availability of behavioral health care services; and/or (3) are involved in juvenile justice or child welfare systems. Although kinship/grandfamilies are not specifically listed, may of the families fall within these categories.
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Institutional Challenge Grant
William T. Grant Foundation
Applications Due By 3:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 13, 2023
The Institutional Challenge Grant provides up to $650,000 over three years to support university-based research institutes, schools, and centers in building sustained research-practice partnerships with public agencies or nonprofit organizations in order to reduce inequality in youth outcomes. While the program overview does not specifically mention kinship/grandfamilies, it encourages applications related to the prevention of child abuse and neglect, education, foster care, and mental health, among other topics, and all of those areas are highly relevant to kinship/grandfamilies.
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Tikkun Olam Grant
Jewish Helping Hands
Initial Inquiry Form Due by Wednesday, September 13, 2023
The Tikkun Olam Grant provides up to $10,000 to programs focused on economic development and social empowerment, with a particular focus on those demographics that have been overlooked and/or marginalized. Jewish Helping Hands values programs and projects that aim to bring about positive change for groups of all backgrounds and religious affiliations. Areas of focus for 2023/2024 are women’s empowerment, education, food, shelter, clothing, water, health, internet connectivity, and gender equity. Programs serving kinship/grandfamilies often help families in many of these areas.
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Network Director Ana Beltran Sworn in as a New Member of the Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
During the three-year term of the new class of Advisory Council members, Ana will serve alongside an older adult raising a relative child, a grandparent raising multiple grandchildren, an adult who was raised by a grandmother, a person impacted by the opioid epidemic, and other experts from an array of disciplines. For more information, visit https://acl.gov/SGRG.
Worcester Business Journal, July 26, 2023
The Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging, based in Worcester, has a new Grandparents Raising Grandkids Resource Center. Officially opened in May, the Center received $1.2 million in federal funding to support services in areas such as health (mental, behavioral, and physical), housing, nutrition, and the law, at 15 senior centers.
St George News, August 13, 2023
This article provides data and discusses the joys of and challenges faced by grandparents raising grandchildren. It features several quotes from Network Director Ana Beltran.
This webinar, originally broadcast on April 26, 2023, provides information about ADHD, evidence-based behavior management strategies, and practical tips, all to help grandparents who are raising grandchildren with ADHD.
This new Technical Assistance Center (TAC) seeks to assist and expand the capacity of State Medicaid agencies, local education agencies (LEAs), and school-based entities to provide greater assistance under Medicaid. The Center's work will include convening small group stakeholder calls with target audience members, with a special emphasis on schools located in small, rural communities. The TAC also seeks to develop resource materials tailored to the specific needs of LEAs and their communities.
The Disaster Plan that Title IV-B/IV-E agencies are required by law to submit and update “provide[s] jurisdictions the opportunity to proactively and intentionally use their Plans to address disparities and promote equity in disaster preparedness and response.”
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For reminders, updates, and additional information throughout the month, follow Generations United on social media! | |
Generations United is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. For more information, read our full statement. | |
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The Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network is the first-ever national technical assistance center for those who serve grandfamilies and kinship families. It was created to help guide lasting, systemic reforms. The Network is a new way to collaborate, to work across jurisdictional and systemic boundaries, to eliminate silos, and to help one another and be helped in return. Thank you for being part of it.
We'd love to hear from you! Please send any feedback on this newsletter to [email protected].
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The Network is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $9,950,000 with 95 percentage funded by ACL/HHS and $523,684 and 5 percentage funded by non-government sources. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
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