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Grandparents Raising Children included in the Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act
For more information, contact
Joyce Johnson
Phone: 804/492-4519
Cell: 703/980-7641
E-mail: jjohnson@cwla.org
November 6, 2000, Washington, DC --
The Senate unanimously recognized the importance of grandparents and older relatives raising children when they voted on October 26th to reauthorize the Older Americans Act (OAA). New to the OAA is the National Family Caregiver Support Act, which includes language making grandparents and older relative caregivers eligible to receive supportive services. This is the most significant intergenerational initiative in the Older Americans Act.
"This is good news for the nation's 2.5 million families headed by grandparents who are caring for one or more of the 5.4 million children living with grandparents or other relatives," says John Rother, Chair of Generations United Board of Directors and Director of Legislation and Public Policy at AARP.
Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH) was a champion in efforts to include the grandparent language in the legislation. His work and the combined efforts of Senators Jim Jeffords (R-VT), Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) made the creation of the National Caregiver Family Support Act possible. With the help of Senator Mike DeWine, GU has pioneered the inclusion of grandparents and other relatives in the Older Americans Act based on the belief that older Americans give care as often as they receive it and play a key role in holding American families together.
"Like other family caregivers, grandparents are sorely in need of access to services, counseling, support groups, training and respite care," said Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United. "Provision of services to grandparents raising grandchildren advances the (NFCSA) program's intergenerational theme in two ways. It facilitates the unique exchange of resources that takes place across three generations and simultaneously provides services to two generations."
On June 22, 1999, Butts testified before the Senate Subcommittee on Aging on behalf of the National Family Caregiver Support Program. She was asked by Sub-committee Chair Senator DeWine (R-OH) to report specifically on grandparents and other relatives raising children and how this population might benefit from such a program. Her testimony led to the inclusion of grandparent and older relative caregivers in the final legislation.
For the first time, an Older Americans Act program will directly provide services to individuals under 60 years old. With this program, the Older American Act formally endorses the understanding that interdependence and reciprocity characterize the relationship between the generations and should be recognized in public policy. Its passage promises to help bring greater visibility to the importance of intergenerational strategies for the health of our nation.
The bill has now been passed in both chambers and will go to the president where it is expected to be signed.
Generations United is the only nonprofit membership organization focused solely on promoting intergenerational strategies, programs and policies. GU's membership includes of 185 national, state and local organizations and individuals representing more than 70 million Americans. One of GU's core initiatives is Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children Project, which educates policymakers, publishes and distributes education materials, and trains practitioners serving these families.
For more information about the National Caregiver Family Support Act and how it affects grandparent and relative caretakers, contact Generations United at 202-638-1263, gu@gu.org or 122 C Street, NW, Suite 820, Washington, DC 20001. Other information about GU and the Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children Project is available on the GU website: www.gu.org.
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