G r a n d p a r e n t s

R a i s i n g

G r a n d c h i l d r e n

of Massachusetts

April, 2015

Greetings and Welcome to the

3rd edition of our newsletter!

The number of grandparents contacting the Commission has increased significantly over the last year and this has helped us focus on some of the emerging issues. This newsletter features perspectives on the impact of divorce and illustrates the challenges in a way that hits home. Commissioner Lynn Girton has written a thoughtful article in response to some of these (points) and you will find it below.

Also, please check out the link to our upcoming conference in June and join us if you can. This is your chance to be a part of the conversation and to meet and talk to the people who represent you on this Commission. Registration is free and it covers lunch.

We continue to seek resources and solutions as well as to urge grandparents and those who support them not to give up! We are listening and working hard to support you and your families! Our chair, John Lepper, and Representative Paul Donato are working hard to file an amendment to the House Budget that would help with the work of this Commission as well as increase support groups around the state. Please keep your fingers crossed!

Lastly, we would love to hear from you! Let us know how you like the newsletter, what you'd like to learn more about and/or write an article about a specific grand-family you would like us to feature. This includes, grandchildren! We can omit last names, change first names or do whatever it takes to get you to share your story. You can reach us at the email addresses below.

Happy Spring!

Kerry & Skip

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Newsletter Contacts:

Kerry Bickford: kbickford81@comcast.net

Skip Stuck: skipnotearl@yahoo.com

The Impact of Divorce

On Children, Parents and Others

We all know that divorce has a profound effect on both children and parents. Important relationships are bound to change. Yet, we too often forget that many others are also involved. Grandparents, other relatives, friends and neighbors also have strong attachments to the family that is now splitting up, and these people can sometimes be critical in sustaining the health and safety of the children and parents. We often hear about this from grandparents and wanted to share an article from the Grandparents Foundation's magazine, "Grand", and author Dr. Karen Rancourt entitled "Avoiding emotional minefields when grown children divorce". This article can be read by following this link to the March/April issue: When "the Parents" Divorce: Dos and Don'ts.

Additionally, the following link will take you to

comment on the above article from Massachusetts Grandparent Commissioner, Atty. Lynn Girton: The Impact of Divorce: A Local Perspective.

2015

GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN CONFERENCE

for grandparents, support group facilitators,
providers, and community leaders

June 10, 2015

Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel, Marlboro

PLEASE JOIN US...

Follow this link for details and registration information

GRAND Magazine from the
Grandparent Foundation

Recently, we've been reaching out to other grandparent and relative care organizations from across the country to see what they're up to, share resources and in turn, share them with you. This newsletter contains a wonderful article from GRAND Magazine on the effects of divorce on grandparent/grandchild relationships. We are excited by the resources that the Grandparent Foundation has made available, and are especially happy to announce that they have offered free subscriptions to their newsletter to Massachusetts grandparents and other relative caregivers.

We encourage you to look up the foundation on their website at www.grandparenting.org and to sign up for their newsletter through the free subscription website as follows:
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Please click the link below to confirm that you'd like to receive GRAND Magazine, the digital magazine for today's grandparents and their families. There is No Charge; you will not be billed or asked for a credit card, and you may cancel at any time.

CONFIRM BY VISITING THE LINK BELOW:

GRAND Magazine

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information. It's fast and easy! If you cannot click the

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In This Issue

Divorce: The Impact on Families

2015 Grandparent Raising Grandchildren Conference

GRAND Magazine

Support Groups - Bourne COA

National Resources Websites

Bourne, MA

Council on Aging

Grandparent

Support Group

Members Speak Out...

What do the members take away from their Support Group and what keeps them attending the meetings?

Follow this link to find out

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

If you are a grandparent or relative caring for a child, there is a support group that can be there for you too. Please go to our website

www.massgrg.com

and click on the Support Groups tab at the top of the home page.

If you have a story about how your group has helped you as a grandparent or other relative raising grandchildren and would like to share it, please email to contactus@massgrg.com.

National Resources Websites...

We recently came across two national resource websites for grandparents that we think you might want to check out.

The first is the federal government's site,

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren at

http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Grandparents.shtml.

It provides a wealth of information about benefits and assistance, health and safety issues, publications and issues specific to the 50 states.

The second site is sponsored by AARP and it is Grandparents Raising Grandchildren and their

'GrandFamilies' Guide. You should take a look at the many resources it has to offer at www.aarp.org
and search for "Grandparents Raising Grandchildren".

Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

2015 Meetings

All meetings are

open to the public

Dates, times and locations are posted at www.mass.gov/elders

For more information on the Commission and its members,

visit www.massgrg.com

This is a publication of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (GRG), and its Information and Referral Committee. Along with its website, www.massgrg.com, its purpose is to reach out to the thousands of grandparents and other relatives who have taken on the challenge and responsibility to care for a relative child.