Grandparents Raising Grandchildren What Providers Need to Know

1. Grandparents Raising GrandchildrenWhat Providers Need to Know Colleen Pritoni Director The Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

2. National and State statistics • The Commission on the Status if Grandparents Raising Grandchildren • Key factors to know when working with grandparents and kinship caregivers • Juvenile Court and DCF vs. Probate and Family Court • Services and Resources What we will cover…...

3. Good Morning! Let tell you a little about me and my experience working with grandparents raising grandchildren

4. National Statistics on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren2010-2014 American Community Survey 5 year estimate S1002 • 7 million grandparents living with own grandchildren under age of 18. • 2.7million (39%) are responsible for grandchildren’s basic needs. • 888,300 (33%) of the 2.7 million have no parent present in the household

5. Massachusetts’ Statistics on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren2010-2014 American Community Survey 5 year estimate S1002 • 120,571 grandparents are living with own grandchildren under age of 18 • 34,877 (29%) are responsible for their grandchildren’s basic needs • 10,393 (29.8%) grandparents living with grandchildren with no parents present.

6. Increase in Massachusetts Grandparents Raising Grandchildren since 2000 2000 2014 Grandparents living with grandchildren = 120,571 (+22.6%) Responsible for grandchildren = 34,877 (+24.9%) No parents present =10, 393 (+17%) • Grandparents living with Grandchildren = 98, 325 • Responsible for grandchildren = 27,924 • No parents present = 8, 852

7. Who are these Massachusetts Grandparents Raising Grandchildren?

8. Massachusetts Grandparents Raising Grandchildren 69.9 % white 16. 4 % Hispanic 14 % black or African –American 64.6 % female 35.4% male 67.9% married 61 % under the age of 60 years old 61.8 % in the work force 16.6% are below poverty level

9. Most common issues which cause grandparents to raise grandchildren: • Substance Abuse • Mental Illness • Homelessness/Poverty • Incarceration • Military Deployment • Death of a parent

10. The Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren • The Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren was established in 2008 by the Legislature. • It consists of 15 volunteer Commissioners from across the Commonwealth who work to support, inform, and advocate for grandparents raising grandchildren. • The Commission meets monthly and all meetings are open to the public.

11. 2009 Listening Tour Four Major Areas of Focus: • Information and Referral • Support Groups • Finances • Legal Issues

12. Created an up to date website www.massgrg.com • Created a 6 page “Tip Sheet Series” for grandparents and providers. Tip Sheet Series is available in English and Spanish • An online Legal Resources Guide • Re-Established the Statewide Resource Network: support group facilitators from across the state meet quarterly • Purchased books for 50 support groups to create a “Lending Library” • Sponsor the “Annual Conference for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren and Providers” • Hired a Full-Time Director available for community outreach visits, consultation, and support To contact The Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: 600 Washington Street 6th Floor Boston, Ma. 02111 (617) 748-2454

13. Current Projects and Initiatives by the Commission

14. 2016 Information Exchange and Listening Tour The Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General, conducted a statewide Information Exchange and Listening Tour in 2016. The purpose was to not only provide grandparents and kinship caregivers with information about The Commission, the Attorney General’s Office, and services and resources for their families, but also to engage in meaningful and solution-focused discussions about the correlation between the increase in substance-use and the increase in grandparents raising grandchildren in Massachusetts.

15. Key Findings and Concerns: • The lack of legal resources for kinship caregivers, particularly, legal representation for caregivers during guardianship/custody proceedings • The lack of access to affordable and accessible child care for grandparents and kinship caregivers • Discrepancy of services, financial assistance, and benefits for kinship families involved with DCF compared to families not involved with DCF • Concerns about inconsistent practices within DCF and other systems • The importance of support groups • Concerns about the impact of trauma on children and families and lack of mental health services to address trauma. The Impact of the Opioid Epidemic on Children and Families Throughout the entire 2016 Information Exchange and Listening Tour, in all eight communities throughout the Commonwealth, grandparents and kinship caregivers expressed concern, frustration, and grief when sharing stories about how addiction, specifically, heroin addiction, has significantly impacted their children and grandchildren.

16. 2017 will be busy! Projects: • Regional Workshops in Worcester, Lawrence, Brockton, Boston, Hyannis, and Northampton, Spring 2017 • Annual Conference for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren and Providers, June 2017 • Grand-Families Fun Day, Fall 2017 Advocacy and Initiatives: • Proposed Legislation has been filed in both the House and Senate to require courts to appoint attorneys for grandparents and kinship caregivers during custody hearings– details coming soon • The Commission has engaged EEC in discussions to increase access to child care vouchers for grandparents and kinship caregivers – details coming soon

17. What to know when working with grandparents raising grandchildren Providers: It is important to know the answers to the following questions….....

18. 1. Where does the family live? Depending on the nature of the call or meeting, it is important to know where the family lives in order to refer them to the most appropriate local resources to their community

19. 2. Who has custody of the child and from which court? This question may be, perhaps, the most important question to know the answer to when talking with a grandparent raising a grandchild. If the grandparent has custody (guardianship or adoption) from Probate and Family Court, then the information you provide will lead them down one path. If DCF is involved and the court case is through Juvenile Court, the information you provide will lead them down a totally different path.

20. A Tale of Two Courts….. Juvenile Court versus Probate and Family Court

21. Juvenile Court (DCF): Probate and Family Court: • In Probate and Family Court, it is typically the family the files for temporary guardianship. Once the paperwork is complete, the case will be scheduled for a hearing within 10 days. It is the grandparent’s responsibility to provide notice to the biological parent (s) of the hearing. • The grandparent will need to demonstrate that the parent (s) are either unfit or unavailable to care the child. • The Probation Department may assist in mediation with grandparents and biological parents on the day of the hearing if the parties do not agree. • If the Judge awards the grandparent guardianship, it is just temporary. Another court date will be scheduled typically in three months. At that time, or any other, a grandparent may request permanent guardianship (although permanent does not mean permanent. The guardianship needs to be renewed each year. • There are NO automatic financial benefits available to a family involved with Probate and Family Court as there is when DCF is involved. A grandparent would need to apply for benefits through DTA, WIC, SSDI, etc. • The Probate and Family Court does not have the ability to assign court staff to do home visits, supervise visits, or prepare court reports. These tasks would be the responsibility of the grandparent or kinship caregiver. • In Juvenile Court, it is typically DCF that files a Care and Protection petition (C+P) when it is determined a child is in imminent risk of harm with their caregiver. • During Juvenile Court proceedings, each parent is assigned an attorney, the child is assigned an attorney, and DCF has an attorney. The grandparent will not be assigned an attorney and it is at the court’s discretion whether or not to allow the grandparent in the courtroom during court proceedings. • A Judge determines custody of a child. If DCF is awarded custody of the child, it is DCF’s decision regarding placement of the child. • A grandparent may request to be considered for “kinship foster care” placement. This involves completing a CORI check, a DCF history check, and a physical standards check of the home as well as a home study. • If the GP is approved as a kinship foster home, the GP will receive monthly foster care payments, quarterly clothing allowances, and be eligible for other benefits such as child care and access to the DCF Kids Fund. • The family is assigned an on-going social worker and the GP is assigned a family-resource social worker. Both will visit the home monthly, if not more. DCF will supervise visits between the child and the biological parent and will prepare court reports before each court date in order to update the Court on the status of all family members efforts towards the goal (reunification, guardianship, adoption, etc.)

22. Pros and Cons to DCF involvement for grandparents raising grandchildren Pros: • Grandparent automatically receives foster care payments per child and and receives quarterly clothing allowances regardless of a grandparent’s income or financial status and may be eligible for child care vouchers and have access to the DCF Kids Fund. • Child automatically receives Masshealth through DCF. • DCF supervises visits between the child and the parent (s). • DCF creates a service plan with the family to identify appropriate services to assist the parents on achieving reunification with their child and will monitor participation in services and programs. • The on-going social worker will visit the child in the grandparent’s home monthly. The grandparent has his/her own social worker from the Family Resource Unit as well. • The social worker prepares a court report for each court date and is responsible for determining the most appropriate goal for a family (reunification, guardianship, adoption, etc.). • The child has an attorney appointed from the Juvenile Court to represent his/her wishes in court proceedings. The attorney should visit the child in the grandparent’s home prior to each court date. Cons: • Many grandparents report feeling an invasion of privacy when DCF is involved due to so many people in and out of the home and background checks needed to complete. • Most decisions with regards to services and permanency planning are determined by DCF. It is ideal when DCF and the grandparent work together as a team on these issues. • In court involved cases, DCF must comply with Federal and state permanency-planning guidelines for the child and may determine a legal goal on a case that a grandparent may not agree with. • When permanency for the child has been achieved and it is determined that the child is no longer at risk, DCF will close the case. Many services are terminated or continue for a short time once the DCF case closes., such as child care vouchers. • The social workers and the attorneys who had been involved with the grandparent are no longer able to meet with the family for support

23. Services for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

24. Support Groups For a listing of support groups for grandparents raising grandchildren in Massachusetts visit www.massgrg.com

25. Financial Assistance If DCF is involved = foster care payments, clothing allowances, eligible for child care vouchers, access to the DCF Kids Fund, etc. If no DCF involvement = can apply for benefits through DTA, SSDI For more information: www.massgrg.com

26. Legal Assistance Court service centers Lawyer of the the day at Probate and Family Court Free Legal Aid for low-income families Guardianship workshops Visit www.massgrg.com “Legal Resources” Tip Sheet for more information

27. Family Resource Centers Massachusetts Family Resource Centers are a statewide network of community based providers offering multi-cultural parenting programs, support groups, parenting programs, early childhood services, information and referral services, and educations for families whose children are from birth to 18 years old. www.frcma.org

28. Working with Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Commonly asked questions/concerns…...

29. Is there any financial assistance for available to grandparents raising grandchildren?

30. YES! If DCF is involved/custody: The grandparent should receive foster care payments, Masshealth for the child, quarterly clothing allowances, access to the DCF Kids Fund. If custody through Probate and Family Court: The children are eligible for grantee relative benefits through DTA Visit www.massgrg.com

31. Are there child care vouchers for grandparents raising grandchildren?

32. Yes and No! If DCF is involved: The Grandparent can talk with the social worker about a child care slot through DCF. This is a temporary arrangement and is based on availability in each office, transportation needs, Etc. If child care is provided and the DCF case is closing, DCF can apply for a Transitional Child Care voucher (TCC) which is a temporary continuance of the child care slot for the family, typically a three month extension. During that time, the day care center will work with the grandparent to determine of they qualify for a sliding scale day care voucher. IF DCF is NOT involved: The grandparent can work with DTA or EEC to complete a child care voucher application, however, these vouchers are very limited.

33. Does the grandparent get an attorney appointed to them at either Juvenile Court or Probate and Family Court?

34. No A grandparent will not be appointed legal representation at either Juvenile Court or Probate and Family Court. At Juvenile Court (DCF involved cases) the biological parents (if qualify) , the child, and DCF all have legal representation in court proceedings. At Probate and Family Court, biological parents may request legal representation in guardianship cases. Any party may request legal representation for a child.

35. What should a grandparent do when they can not reach their DCF social worker?

36. The DCF Team • On-Going Social Worker: • Works with biological parents, the child, and the grandparents to continually asses a • family’s progress towards the identified goal. The on-going social worker meets with each • parent monthly, the child monthly in the foster home, and will often supervise the visits • between the parents and the child, attend school meetings, etc. • On-Going Supervisor: • Every social worker has a supervisor who is typically available at the office for consult or • questions. The On-Going Social Worker is not at the office often, so a grandparent may • contact the supervisor if needed. • Area Program Manager (APM): • The social worker and supervisor consult with their APM frequently on cases. The APM is • involved in legal consults, family TEAM meetings, etc. • Area Director: • Every DCF Area Office has an Area Director. The Area Director may not be able to answer specific • questions on a case, but can be contacted if the grandparent is not getting any response within a • reasonable amount of time by the social worker or the supervisor. • If all of these attempts at contact and communication within the area office have been unsuccessful, then the grandparent can contact the DCF Ombudsman’s Unit at (617) 748-2444

37. What should a grandparent do if they are not in agreement with DCF?

38. It’s all about TEAMWORK! • The best advice to a grandparent raising a grandchild involved with DCF is to have good communication with the team. • At times a grandparent may not be in agreement with a plan that DCF has proposed. It is important to keep in mind that the social worker alone does not typically make major decisions on cases and that the TEAM will all have a chance to provide input and feedback. • All custody decisions are determined by a Judge with input from all parties on the case. If a grandparent is not agreement with DCF’s plan regarding custody, they can share their opinions with the child’s attorney or ask to address the court.

39. Other questions/concerns: Housing Visitation Health Care Issues Services for children

40. Colleen PritoniColleen.pritoni@state.ma.usDirector The Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren 600 Washington Street 6th Floor Boston, Ma. 02111 617-748-2454 www.massgrg.com