The first-ever Northern Kentucky Grandparents as Parents Conference will be held in September to provide resources and information for the growing grandparents-as-parents community. According to the Kinship Families Coalition of Kentucky, 56,000 of the 59,000 children raised in kinship care in Kentucky are being raised by grandparents.
The event aims to raise awareness and support for grandparents and relatives as parents of children in the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati community. Attendees will receive information from guest speakers on child development, adjusting to kinship settings, legal matters in kinship care, and available community resources/assistance.
“I think it’s alarming that so many children are being raised by their grandparents,” said Mike Hammons, Children Inc. Director of Advocacy. “Although it might reflect tremendous love and responsibility, we know that under the surface, grandparents are not prepared to handle the daily challenges of raising young kids and teenagers. It’s a situation that is often made worse by the parents’ problems. The conference will help grandparents better understand the complex issues that arise in kinship care and provide ways to navigate the situation more effectively.”
Keynote speaker for the day will be Dr. Joseph Crumbley. Private practice family therapist, trainer, and consultant, Dr. Crumbley is an expert in matters of adoption, foster care, and kinship settings. He has co-authored the book “Relatives Raising Children: An Overview of Kinship Care” and consulted on kinship care topics with 60 Minutes, The New York Times, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.
The event is offered through a partnership of Children, Inc., Trinity Episcopal Church, Kenton County Cooperative Extension Service, Family Nurturing Center, Brighton Center, Kentucky Youth Advocates, and the Northern Kentucky Area Development District.
What: Grandparents as Parents Conference
When: September 11, 2015, 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Where: Trinity Episcopal Church: 326 Madison Avenue, Covington, KY 41011
Cost: $5 for grandparents or relatives; $50 for professionals (includes lunch)
More information: http://www.childreninc.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
From Children, Inc./Image provided
