Tuesday, May 2, 2000

Grandparents bringing up children... again

Munoz

Five years ago local senior centers started noticing an alarming trend. A growing number of seniors were opting not to attend these facilities late in the afternoon.
   After a bit of sleuthing, staff concluded that the snacks, programming, personnel and facilities were not to blame. The attendance drop, in fact, coincided with the time school let out.
   "A lot of parents work and are unable to care for kids after school, so they leave them in the care of grandma or grandpa," said Elsa Muñoz, superintendent of Senior Community Services. "So, in response, we're now having to be more flexible in the type of programming we offer. We've been moving toward intergenerational programming in the last 10 years and this fit right in with that philosophy."
   But clearly, Muñoz said, the at-home grandparent reflects more than just a babysitting issue. The American Association of Retired Persons estimates 4 million children nationwide are being raised by grandparents or other relatives.
   Chance to network
   It is unclear how many Coastal Bend children are being raised by grandparents or other relatives. Still, the nature of many phone calls that Muñoz and Corpus Christi Independent School District personnel field these days suggests that whatever the number, it is climbing.
   On Wednesday, the city's Senior Community Services division, the AARP, CCISD, the Mayor's Council on Senior Citizen Affairs and others will co-sponsor the first "Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Grandchildren" seminar, to be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Bayfront Plaza Convention Center. The seminar is designed to help grandparents and other relatives navigate the school system, get answers to legal questions and make use of community resources. A survey will be conducted to help determine the number of grandparent-headed households and their needs.
   Dealing with the situation

To attend Seminar is free. Lunch is free for those 60 years and older. Lunch is $4 for all others. For information, call 880-3150.

   The circumstances forcing grandparents or relatives to parent a second time around affect all socio-economic groups, Muñoz said. The situations includeunemployment, family violence, incarceration, divorce, teen pregnancy, child abuse and neglect, death of parent(s), substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, mental health crisis or poverty.
   In addition to the seminar's workshops, panel discussions, guest speakers and roundtables, and a group of local lawyers will answer oft-asked questions, such as how to adopt, write a will, get custody of a child or resolve immigration issues.
   Georg Johnson, a CCISD consultant for parent involvement and education, said grandparents should not be intimidated from approaching schools for help because they are unfamiliar with current education methods or are computer illiterate.
   "Not everything that can help a student is computer generated," Johnson said. "Hugging a kid, talking to a student or storytelling are just some of the ways they can offer assistance."
  
  
 

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