A significant proportion of grandparents become the primary caretakers for their grandchildren. In the 2000 Census 6 million households were headed by grandparents caring for their grandchildren. In the child welfare system, grandparents are favored as kinship care placements. These grandparents are challenged by the problems of their maltreated grandchildren, by lack of concrete and supportive services for their grandchildren, and by their own health and sometimes mental health problems.
This workshop will describe the current state of grandparent kinship care, discuss the material and psycho-social challenges these parents face, and describe the kinds of problems their grandchildren are likely to have. A model of service delivery that assists grandparents and grandchildren with both their concrete and treatment needs will be described. Case examples will be employed to illustrate the challenges faced by grandparents and their grandchildren and solutions.
Registration for this course is closed. Visit the CE Course Catalog for more offerings.
University of Michigan
School of Social Work
1080 South University Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106