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Grandparents 
                    Raising
Grandchildren 
of Massachusetts                                                                        
November, 2015
From the Editors...
Greetings!
     You may have noticed that we are a bit behind on this publication, but there is an exciting reason for this. We have been working hard, since the beginning of the year, on a new and improved website. It should be easier to navigate and find the information that visitors, like you, are seeking. The bad news is that we did not anticipate the amount of work that would have to be done to "roll over" the information from our previous site, so there has been a lot going on behind the scenes to get this up and running as soon as possible.
     We would like to extend a warm welcome to incoming Commissioner Gail Garinger who recently stepped down after 7 years of heading up the Office of the Child Advocate. Her experience and expertise are invaluable and we feel so fortunate to have her on our team.  Welcome Gail!
     Maria has shared her Real Story from a Real Grandfamily. She describes  circumstances to which many grandfamilies can relate. Heart wrenching and heart warming.
     As always, we try to address the issues that we hear about the most.  The topics we are covering in this newsletter are...    
     Legal information.  Commissioners Lynn Girton and Ilene Mitchell have collaborated on a summary of services we hope are helpful to you if and when you need them.  See link under Legal Advice for this summary.
     Substance Abuse. Our November Commission meeting guest presenter was Leslie Darcy,EOHHS Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives. She provided a detailed overview of substance abuse services/practices and all of this can be found by selecting links in the article below.
     Commissioner Kerry Bickford and her sister, Westfield School Superintendent Suzanne Scallion, co-authored a piece in this issue entitled "Supporting School-Aged Kids." Select the link in the Education article below.       
     Grandparent Commissioners meet with DCF Leadership and Profile of DCF Commissioner Linda Spears.
     DCF expands kinship placements, acknowledges "improved outcomes for children placed with kin".
     Washington Post Article calls for increased financial supports for grandparents.
 
Please accept our warmest wishes to you and your families during the holiday season and into the New Year. Our resolution is to continue to work hard for you and the children you are so committed to. Peace.
 
Kerry & Skip
 _________________________
   
Newsletter Contacts:   

Kerry Bickford:   kbickford81@comcast.net 
Skip Stuck:           skipnotearl@yahoo.com


Real Stories from Real Grandfamilies


Maria has been a member of the Cape Cod Support group, facilitated by Kerry Bickford, for the last three years. In this time, her family has gone through a lot, finally resulting in the adoption of her grandson just before Christmas last December!  Maria took the time to share some of her story with our readers. 
[select link]
 
Do you have a story you would like to share with other grandparents and kin?  
If so, please let us know.

Legal Resources for Grandparents...

     At some point, nearly every "Grandfamily" will come face-to-face with the legal system. It could be because of a custody or guardianship issue, visitation, the financial stress of raising a child on a fixed income, or the criminal activity of a child or grandchild. The Commission regularly receives many questions from caring but frustrated and confused relatives which are as varied and individualized as the families who need help. In the past, our presentations about the legal system have been among our most often requested and well attended.
     Our thanks to Grandparent Commissioners, Lynn Girton and Ilene Mitchell, who put together a summary of legal resources available to grandparents and other relative caregivers [select link]. Clearly, it is not possible to list, or even know about, every resource that exists, or those which would be of most value to you, so please be sure to contact us with any questions or suggestions you might have.
Stop Addiction in Its Tracks...
 
The Commission is grateful to have had the honor of a presentation by Leslie Darcy, EOHHS Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, at our November meeting. Ms. Darcy presented the recommendations from the Governor's Opioid Addiction Working Group [select link].

We are appreciative of all of this information, and commend the Governor's Opioid Addiction Working Group for their work on this challenging issue, which is a significant reason why many grandparents are raising their grandchildren.

For help, please call:  1-800-327-5050  M-F  from 8AM-10PM 
Because so many grandparents are living in the same household as their school-aged grandchildren, we decided it might be helpful to brainstorm a brief list of ways that we can support these children and encourage them on their educational journey. Commissioner Kerry Bickford and her sister, Westfield School Superintendent Suzanne Scallion, co-authored the linked piece entitled  

      Supporting School-Aged Kids 
Let us know if you can think of others!
Grandparent Commissioners meet with DCF Leadership...  
   
     On October 28th, GRG Commissioners including Chair John Lepper, Vice Chair Lynn Girton, and Commissioner Skip Stuck had the opportunity to meet with the DCF leadership team including Commissioner Linda Spears, Deputy Commissioner Danielle Ferrier, and Daniel Lewis. This was a chance to welcome the new DCF administration and update them on the activities of the Grandparents' Commission and the issues of importance to grandparents and other relative caregivers.  Commissioner Spears expressed her great respect for relative caregivers, gained from her many years' experience as a caseworker in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, as well as her work at the Child Welfare league of America where she was one of the founders of the Kinship Care Task Force. She stressed the remarkable impact that grandparents have had of the lives of children, and the fact that it is in the best interest of DCF to support their work. 
     We look forward to working with DCF and its new leadership to better support Massachusetts' grandparents and relative caregivers and their families. Below, please find a brief background bio of DCF's new Commissioner.

Commissioner Linda S. Spears

 
     Linda Spears was appointed as Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families by Governor Charlie Baker in February of 2015. Most recently, she worked at the Child Welfare League of America as the Vice President of Policy, Programs and Public Affairs.  In this capacity, she was part of the review that CWLA conducted last year, evaluating specific areas of DCF and its services and making recommendations for how the Department could enhance its work.  
     Commissioner Spears began her career working for the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families as a Social Caseworker. After spending four years there, she came to Massachusetts to work for what was then called the Department of Social Services (now DCF). She remained for nearly a decade, serving in a variety of roles, the last of which was Director of Field Support.
     With her background and experience in child welfare, on the national level as well as the state level, Commissioner Spears is grateful for the opportunity to take on the leadership role at the Department and join the dedicated greater child welfare community here in the Commonwealth.   
DCF expands kinship placements, Acknowledges "improved outcomes for children placed with kin"...

 
     The Department's mission is to ensure that children are able to grow and thrive in a nurturing home environment. This sometimes requires the difficult decision of removing a child from his or her home and placing the child in a more stable environment. When a child is removed from their home and taken into DCF custody, they are considered to be in placement. The first placement DCF considers is with a child's extended family / kin. Kinship care is the full-time nurturing and protection of children in a licensed family setting by relatives or those adults to whom a child and the child's parents and family members ascribe a "family" relationship. Other placements include: DCF foster homes; intensive foster care via a provider; and congregate care, including group homes or residential placements.
     DCF has made great progress expanding kinship care placements, which is proven to provide better outcomes for children who come into foster care. More than 50 percent of children in DCF foster care are now placed with kin, and more than 30 percent of children in all placements are with kin. And more children leaving DCF care are being reunified with their families. In 2014, nearly 80 percent of children were reunified with their family within 12 months.
Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Website:  www.massgrg.com
 
Email Address:   contactus@massgrg.com