Volume 16 | Issue 49 | December 8, 2021
Generations This Week
News for Advocates of Children, Youth and Older Adults from Generations United
Join Us Tomorrow for the Release of Our 2021 State of Grandfamilies Report
Join Generations United on December 9th at 3:00 PM Eastern for the release of the 2021 State of Grandfamilies Report, Reinforcing a Strong Foundation: Equitable Supports for Basic Needs of Grandfamilies.

Across the United States, more than 2.6 million children are being raised in grandfamilies (families where children are raised by grandparents, other relatives, and close family friends). This year’s annual State of Grandfamilies report highlights how the systems and services that help U.S. families were not designed for grandfamilies, leaving children and caregivers in these families with inequitable access to key resources to help their families thrive. Attendees will hear directly from caregivers about their families’ strengths and the challenges they face. The event will feature report highlights including updated national and state data on grandfamilies and key recommendations to address inequities and provide critical supports to serve grandfamilies well. The report will be available here after the event.
New Australian Institute for Intergenerational Practice
Congratulations to our colleagues in Australia on the launch of the Australian Institute for Intergenerational Practice (AIIP) a non-profit established to advance evidence-based intergenerational activities across aged care and childcare facilities to foster meaningful engagement between young and old. GU's Sheri Steinig was able to virtually attend Griffith University's Intergenerational Practice Colloquium this week which not only introduced AIIP but also shared a wealth of information on intergenerational research, programs, and practice across Australia. Learn more.
In the News
GU's Ana Beltran is quoted in the article Intergenerational Housing Connects Vulnerable Youth and Seniors by Colleen Connolly in The Imprint. Read the article.
RWJF Hosting a Live Conversation on Care and Caregiving
We are in the midst of a once-in-a-generation moment to reimagine the systems in this country - especially those systems that support families like the care and caregiving system. On December 9 at 10:30 am EST the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is hosting a live “fireside chat” about America’s caregiving crisis, featuring Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President & CEO Dr. Richard Besser and Ai-jen Poo, co-founder and executive director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and co-founder and director of Caring Across Generations. Learn more and register.
ZERO TO THREE Virtual Event - Grand Connections: A New Program to Support Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren Under 5
In the absence of accessible and affordable options for working families, grandparents have increasingly become the cornerstone of early child care in the U.S. One out of four children under 5 years old is cared for by a grandparent while a parent works or goes to school. The number of multigenerational families (three or more generations living in the same household) is up. The number of families in which grandparents are raising grandchildren has jumped up as well. Join ZERO TO THREE on December 15 at 2:00 - 3:00 pm EST for this free webinar describing the joys and challenges of grandparents caring for young grandchildren and learn about the new, one-of-a-kind curriculum we've designed to meet grandparents' needs. Learn more and register.
Culture United - Encanto
A multigenerational family is at the center of the new Disney film Encanto. The Madrigals are an extraordinary family who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia in a charmed place called the Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift - every child except Mirabel. However, she soon may be the Madrigals last hope when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is now in danger. Learn more.

Culture United highlights films, books, music, and TV shows with an intergenerational theme. Do you have any suggestions? Share them with us, and we'll share in the weeks and months to come. We welcome responses or reactions. See disclaimer.
Thank You to Our Members and Supporters
Generations United thanks LeadingAge for renewing its membership and Jaia Peterson Lent for her contribution in honor of the fantastic Generations United staff! Consider making a donation today to help us unleash the potential of a society that values all generations. If you're an organization, join us!
Public Call for Programs and Services
The Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse is pleased to announce that a public call for program and service recommendations is now open. This call is an opportunity for the public to recommend mental health, substance abuse, in-home parent skill-based, and kinship navigator programs and services for systematic review. Additional public calls for recommendations will occur on at least an annual basis. The deadline for submissions is December 21, 2021. Learn more.
Think Intergenerational - Funding Opportunities
NEW Food Security Efforts Funded - Department of Agriculture. The Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program seeks to improve food and nutrition security in low-income communities through a food systems approach and social determinants of health framework. Two types of grants are available: Community Food Projects and Planning Projects. Community Food Project grants support the development of projects with a one-time infusion of federal dollars to make such projects self-sustaining. Planning Project grants provide support to complete a plan toward the improvement of community food security. Deadline: Dec. 20, 2021. Learn more.

The Merck Family Fund is dedicated to protecting the natural environment and ensuring a healthy planet for generations to come and to strengthening the social fabric and the physical landscape of urban communities. The Fund provides grants to nonprofit organizations that address one of the following three program areas incluiding the Urban Farming and Youth Leadership program supports initiatives in New York City and Philadelphia as well as low-income urban areas in Massachusetts that help young people to create urban farms and local markets. The deadlines for letters of inquiry in 2022 are January 10 and July 11. Learn more.

JAMS Foundation/ACR Initiative for Students and Youth. The JAMS Foundation/ACR Initiative for Students and Youth provides grants—ranging from $15,000 to $40,000—for conflict prevention and dispute resolution programs for pre-K-12 students and for adults working with youth populations in ways that directly transfer conflict resolution education (CRE) skills from adults to youth. The focus for 2022 is on utilizing conflict resolution education and training for youth to create opportunities to prevent and manage conflict in the following settings: foster care, homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, school, and after-school programs, and youth correctional facilities. Deadline: Jan. 14, 2022. Learn more.

The Les Paul Foundation inspires innovative and creative thinking by sharing the legacy of Les Paul through the support of music education, recording, innovation, and medical research related to hearing. The Foundation awards grants to nonprofit organizations for programs that encourage innovation in music production and/or performance as well as to innovative STEM and STEAM programs for students and others in challenging situations. The Foundation also provides grants for medical research related to curing tinnitus and hearing impairment issues. Deadline: Jan. 15, 2022. Learn more.

National Endowment for the Arts. The Big Read supports the development of community-wide reading programs which encourage reading and participation by diverse audiences. These programs include activities such as author readings, book discussions, art exhibits, lectures, film series, music or dance events, theatrical performances, panel discussions, and other events and activities related to a specific book chosen by the community. Deadline: Jan. 26, 2022. Learn more.

American Rescue Plan Funding Opportunities. AmeriCorps Seniors' focus with this opportunity are applicants who can demonstrate how they will engage adults age 55 and over in impactful national service to address one or more of the identified priorities. AmeriCorps Seniors prioritizes serving communities that are hard-to-reach and/or those that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Deadline: Feb. 3, 2022. Learn more.

The CareSource Foundation supports programs that improve health outcomes and conditions for low-income, underserved populations in the communities the company serves in Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. The Foundation provides Community Grants to nonprofit organizations that address one or more of the following areas: 1) health education, disease management, and prevention programs; 2) programs that promote healthy births and enable vulnerable newborns, children, and parents to thrive; 3) programs that help rebuild healthy neighborhoods, reduce health inequities, and create economic opportunity for vulnerable populations; and 4) education programs that prepare the next generation of professionals, and foster a high-quality, diverse workforce. Applications for Community Grants may be submitted at any time and are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Learn more.

If you have—or know of—any intergenerational funding opportunities, please send them to [email protected].
Think Intergenerational - Great Resources
Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (SGRG) Act Initial Report to Congress
On November 16, 2021, the Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren released its initial report to Congress. This report outlines the joys, challenges, gaps, and unmet needs faced by kin and grandparent caregivers. It also describes federal programs currently available to assist them and provides 22 recommendations for better supporting kinship families and grandfamilies. Learn more
RRF Foundation for Aging Releases Issue Brief on Social and Intergenerational Connectedness
RRF Foundation for Aging has released an issue brief on one of its four priority funding areas—social and intergenerational connectedness. Engaged and Thriving: Promoting Social and Intergenerational Connectedness, describes RRF’s support for innovative projects to address social isolation and loneliness, and the development and implementation of new assessment tools to measure these issues and their impact. Learn more.
Generations United Resources
Latino Grandfamilies: Helping Latino Children Thrive Through Connection to Culture and Family. This new toolkit is designed to give resources and tips to child welfare agencies, other government agencies, and nonprofit organizations so that they can better serve all Latino grandfamilies regardless of child welfare involvement. Learn more.

Sharing Our Space: A Toolkit for Developing and Enhancing Intergenerational Shared Sites is designed for individuals and organizations interested in creating an intergenerational shared site or enhancing services at their current site. Divided into 10 sections, the toolkit details every step of the development and operation process, from initial planning to sustaining long-term shared site programs. Each section includes effective practices, challenges, tips, examples, and concrete tools gathered from researchers and practitioners from across the field, organized towards the goal of assisting readers in planning and implementing high-quality shared sites. Learn more.

Making the Case for Intergenerational Programs provides rationale and facts to help make the case for intergenerational programs. It is based on a comprehensive review of the literature on intergenerational programs and highlights evidence-based findings on how intergenerational programs benefit everyone. This resource aims to strengthen and expand intergenerational programs and support the growing field of practice by increasing the knowledge and skills of people working to connect and support older adults, children, and youth. Learn more.

Fact Sheet: Intergenerational Programs Benefit Everyone, serves as a companion piece to Making the Case and provides a synthesized overview of the benefits. Learn more.

Staying Connected While Staying Apart: Intergenerational Programs & the COVID-19 Pandemic shares what we have learned about intergenerational engagement during the pandemic, including some of the research findings and a list of inspiring intergenerational initiatives focusing on creativity, art, and storytelling; helping each other; accessing vaccines; tutoring and mentoring; pen pals; and shared sites. We conclude with tips for addressing the digital divide; lessons learned; a checklist for virtual intergenerational programs; and resources to help you get started or strengthen your intergenerational work. Learn more.

Staying Healthy Across Generations: Vaccines are Essential for All Ages. Generations United's new infographic illustrates that vaccines aren't just for kids-they protect all generations- especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Staying up to date on vaccines for the flu, pneumonia and whooping cough is important to protect both older adults and children. Check it out.

"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." - Maya Angelou

We want Generations This Week to be a real resource for you. Please send us any national news on intergenerational issues in addition to upcoming conferences, funding opportunities, research, reports, and webinars. You can connect with other intergenerational enthusiasts through our Facebook group. Please also let us know how we can improve! Email us at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!

Best,
The Generations United Team
Treat Yourself GRAND!
As a reader of Generations This Week, you are eligible to receive a complimentary subscription to GRAND - The Lifestyle Magazine for Awesome Grandparents. 

That's a $26 value for 12 issues delivered right to your inbox. Get valuable offers and inspirational articles like our column on GRAND Families, and more.