Cape Cod Neighborhood Support Coalition
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren has updated their easy to use, one-page resource flier for Parenting Grandparents who may need hep with legal, financial, or emotional support. View, download, and print it here: Parenting Grandparents-Mass.
Kerry Bickford is a custodial grandparent who lives and works on Cape Cod and is an appointee to the state's Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. If you'd like to contact her either to share your thoughts or for help connecting with others, please e-mail her: grandparents@capecoalition.com.
When children can't be with their parents, a grandparent's home can provide stability and comfort. This tip sheet helps grandparent caregivers understand how their grandchildren may be feeling, how to help children feel safe and secure in their home, and where to find support in their community if needed. Access the tip sheet by clicking here.
Cuando los niños no pueden estar con sus padres, el hogar de un pariente puede darles estabilidad y consuelo. Esta hoja de consejos, escrita para los que cuidan a los hijos de un pariente, les ayuda a entender cómo se pueden sentir los niños.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Article in Common Ground
Our own Kerry Bickford and Family Continuity's Skip Stuck, co-wrote an article highlighting the reality of grandparent-led families in Massachusetts. It was published in Common Ground (The Newspaper of the New England Association of Child Welfare Commissioners and Directors) in February, 2010. Click here to read, download or print the article right now (PDF format).
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Monthly Support Group
The Bourne Council on Aging offers a free group on the fourth Monday of each month for grandparents who play a substantial role in the parenting of one or more of their grandchildren. The free group is led by Lois Carr and meets from 10 - 11:30 a.m. at the Bourne Council on Aging offices, Bourne Veteran’s Memorial Community Center, 239 Main St., Buzzards Bay. For more information, contact Lois at 508-759-0654.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Workshops
These workshops are designed specifically for parenting grandparents:
March 17, 10 a.m. - noon: “Parenting Grandparents-Knowing Your Child: Types of Temperament” at the Bourne Council on Aging, Bourne Veteran’s Memorial Community Center, 239 Main St., Buzzards Bay, with Julie Sacchetti, certified parent educator. Information or registration: 508-759-0653.
March 31, 10 a.m. - noon: “Parenting Grandparents-Birth Order and Parenting: Recognizing the Differences in your Grandchildren” at the Bourne Council on Aging, Bourne Veteran’s Memorial Community Center, 239 Main St., Buzzards Bay, with Julie Sacchetti, certified parent educator. Information or registration: 508-759-0653.
If you'd like to be sent an e-mail when this or other relevant information is updated, please click here.
Other Parent Education & Support Opportunities
The CCNSC compiles and distributes a free, monthly Cape and Islands-wide listing of workshops, meetings, groups and related programs for grandparents, parents, guardians and primary caregivers of children. If you would like to receive a copy by e-mail every month or check out the current edition, please click here or contact Paul Melville (paul@capecoalition.com).
Grandparents and Other Kin Task Force
The Cape Cod Neighborhood Support Coalition (CCNSC), Cape Cod Children's Place, the Department of Children and Families (DCF), and Family Continuity are currently spearheading a temporary task force specifically to look into and help address issues affecting grandparents and other kin who are raising children on Cape Cod and the Islands. If you or your organization would like to get involved, please contact Beverly Costa-Ciavola, CCNSC Executive Director, at 508-771-4336 or beverly@capecoalition.com.
Listening Tour
The Grandparents and other Kin Task Force has been hosting a listening tour that will continue to make its way around the Cape and Islands to introduce themselves to the adults in these families and to listen to their stories, both successful and challenging. The tour has recently been in Forestdale, North Eastham, Hyannis, and Falmouth. We'll planning our next stop soon.
The details will be posted here when they are available. If you'd like to be sent an e-mail when this or other relevant information is available, please click here.
For more information or to expresss an interest in having us visit your community, please contact Beverly Costa-Ciavola, CCNSC Executive Director, at 508-771-4336 or beverly@capecoalition.com.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Massachusetts Resource Guide
The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren have collaborated with several state agencies to compile a resource guide specifically for grandparents and other kin who are raising children in the commonwealth. You can view, download, and print it here:
Resource Guide for Massachusetts' Grandparents Raising their Grandchildren
Additional Resources: A Companion to the Grandparents Resource Guide
These documents are in PDF format. In order to view them, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. To download and install the latest free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader, please click here.