Generations United GRAND Voice Honored with The Casey Excellence for Children Award

We're proud to share that Alisa Thornton, one of Generations United's GRAND Voice Caregiver Advocates, was honored with the 2026 Casey Excellence for Children Kinship Caregiver Award.

The Casey Excellence for Children Awards are a national recognition of the accomplishments of remarkable individuals, especially those with lived experience in the child welfare system, who are working to safely reduce the need for foster care and build Communities of Hope.

Congratulations to Alisa on this well-deserved recognition. Her dedication, leadership, and advocacy exemplify the power of kinship caregivers and the difference their voices make. Learn more about her kin caregiving journey here.

Generations United Featured in The Boston Globe

Generations United was recently featured in a Boston Globe article highlighting the realities facing grandparents who step in to raise their grandchildren with little to no support. The story centers on kinship caregivers across Massachusetts and underscores the financial strain, emotional toll, and policy gaps they face, even as they provide stability and care that helps keep children out of foster care.

The article also emphasizes the need for parity between kinship families and foster families and quotes Jaia Lent, Deputy Executive Director of Generations United, on why supporting grandparents raising grandchildren is critical for both caregivers and children.

Read the Boston Globe article here.

Recording Now Available: North America Global Intergenerational Week Kick-Off

You can now access the recording and the slides from the North American Global Intergenerational Week kick-off hosted by Generations United, The Eisner Foundation, Córimaz, and Volunteer Canada. Learn more about the week and the many ways individuals and organizations can get involved. 

Sign up as a supporter to show your intention to celebrate all things intergenerational!

Generations United's Latest Intergenerational Policy Update

Congress recently passed FY 2026 appropriations bills that invest in programs supporting children, caregivers, and older adults, including child care, Head Start, mental health services, and family caregiver supports.

At the same time, Congress is reviewing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a critical lifeline for grandfamilies and kinship caregivers. TANF child-only grants supported more than 280,000 children raised by relatives in FY 2023, helping keep families together and out of foster care. Many Members of Congress are not aware that TANF is a critical support to children in kinship care. We need your help to raise awareness.

Read our latest intergenerational policy update to learn more about what’s included in the FY 2026 funding package and how you can take action to protect TANF. Read the update.

Want timely updates on key policy issues affecting youth, older adults, and kinship/grandfamilies? Sign up for our policy alerts.

Apply to Join a National Kinship Learning Cohort for Family Resource Centers

The Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network is collaborating with our subject matter experts at the National Family Support Network to launch two national peer learning cohorts designed to strengthen kinship engagement through Family Resource Centers (FRCs). One cohort will focus on school-based FRCs & kinship engagement, and the other on engaging male kin caregivers through FRCs. FRCs will learn from peers implementing promising kinship strategies, test and refine practical approaches, strengthen engagement in the area of focus (school-based engagement or male kin caregiver engagement), and contribute to emerging national practice. Applications are due by Saturday, February 28. 

Learn More and Apply by February 28

As always, the Network is accepting individual requests for assistance from professionals who work in systems or organizations that serve kinship/grandfamilies. Fill out the request assistance form to receive support from our team. Learn more and sign up for our monthly newsletter!

Explore ASAging's 100 Days of School Alternative Curriculum

With the 100th day of school taking place between February and March, the American Society on Aging invites you to take a closer look at how age bias can take root early, and how educators can help change that norm.

The new 100 Days of School Curriculum Guide offers teachers and schools a better way forward with activities and lesson plans designed to cultivate positive views of aging from an early age.

By reframing how we talk about aging in classrooms, we can help children celebrate longevity, empathy and intergenerational connection—not ageism.

Explore the guide.

Applications Now Open for CoGenerate's CoGen Voices Fellowship

CoGenerate is looking for civic leaders of all ages who are passionate about intergenerational collaboration and want to strengthen their public voice.

The CoGen Voices Fellowship is a six-session workshop for younger and older civic leaders to hone their skills in writing, speaking and pitching.

Applications are due March 12. Learn more.

Empowering Readers OC

The mission of Empowering Readers OC, a newly designated Generations United Program of Distinction, is to support the academic success and social development in children by leveraging the talent and wisdom of older adults through one-on-one tutoring and mentoring. Empowering Readers OC is an intergenerational early literacy intervention program that pairs older adult volunteer tutors with young, struggling readers in Title I elementary schools and after-school youth organizations. Through weekly one-on-one sessions, tutors help students build foundational reading skills while also developing meaningful relationships. The program fosters measurable literacy gains and promotes social connection across generations, creating positive outcomes for both students and older adult volunteers. Learn more about Empowering Readers OC here.