Kinship caregivers have
many faces, but most typically are grandparents, aunts,
uncles, adult siblings and family friends. For a wide
variety of reasons, they have stepped in to be the temporary
or permanent caregivers for some of our Greene County
children. In some cases, parents have died or been
injured and, in many other cases, parents cannot fulfill
their responsibilities because of substance abuse or
incarceration. For others, the reasons are too complex to
explain.
Why Has The Greene County Council on
Aging Taken On This Effort?
Although many of these
caregivers are not seniors, the aging network has been
looking at this issue for quite some time. As the number of
grandparents raising grandchildren has increased, many have
made their way to various senior service organizations
seeking information and support. With caregivers as a
primary group served by the Council, it was a natural fit to
include kinship caregivers in those assisted by the Council.
What Assistance Is Available?
Monthly Support Group -
All grandparents
and other kinship caregivers are welcome to participate
in a monthly group. If needed, arrangements will
be made for on-site childcare. 2nd Tuesday from 10:00 am
to 11:30 am at Faith Community United
Methodist Church, 100 Country Club Drive, Xenia, Ohio.
Call the Council at 937-376-5486 for more information.
Kinship Education Series -
Informative programs with local experts share
information on legal and financial issues, community
resources and support, childcare, relationships and
caring for the caregiver.
Caregiver Tune-Up -
The Council coordinates a Caregiver Tune-Up twice a year
for both kinship caregivers and caregivers of older
loved ones. These tune-ups are full day retreats,
designed to focus on the true well-being of these
caregivers. They are free and include informational
sessions, motivational speakers, special treatments such
as massage and reflexology, lunch and gifts.
Caregiver Resource Center
- A Resource Center has been put together at the
Council’s office. Books, videos, articles and other
information is available for loan to local caregivers. Computers will also be available to caregivers for
researching additional information via the Internet.
KinshipOhio Web
Site - Click this link to go to a "one-stop" shop of
all the relevant Greene County agency phone numbers,
websites, contact information, and forms for kinship
families:
www.kinshipohio.org/greeneCounty.htm
