SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN IN GRANDPARENT CARE (SB 88)

Why This priority is Important:

Grandparents of all ages are assuming responsibility for their grandchildren when the parents are unable to provide adequate, nurturing care because of military deployment, illness, death or incarceration. Across the country, children living in grandparent-headed households increased 30% from 1990 to 2000. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 164,423 children are living in grandparent-headed households in Georgia, making it one of the top ten states with households of this type.

Grandparent care is an advantage to the child. Grandparents preserve a child’s family ties while providing love and stability. Thanks to the support of statewide public policymakers, grandparents and grandchildren benefit from groups like the Clayton County Kinship Care Program that reports a zero percent school dropout rate and improved academic performance for children in grandparent care.

Often grandparents provide for their grandchildren without state intervention. The additional expenses of raising a grandchild are usually unanticipated, creating a financial hardship for many grand-families. Further, grandparents who have stepped up to care for their grandchildren may face barriers to registering these children for school, obtaining medical services and performing other essential duties if the grandparents lack documentation clearly conveying authority.

What other states do:

Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada and New Jersey have a form of subsidized custody that allows grandparents to have legal responsibility for their grandchildren without adoption and without the state having to assume custody. A feature of this option is that grandparents receive funds comparable to what foster parents receive.

What This Priorty Would Do:

An appropriation of $7,789,000 would provide 1,500 children with financial assistance similar to foster children and cover the cost to administer the funding. Several requirements must be met to receive assistance including:

•Grandparents must have custody or legal guardianship of the grandchildren
•Grandchildren and grandparents must participate in a support program connected to the local Area Agency on Aging (AAA)
•Income must be no greater than 200% of the federal poverty level
•Periodic certification must be provided that the grandchild continues to live with the grandparent

Legislation would also create a Power of Attorney for a Minor Child. This document will give parents a tool to grant authority to grandparents or great-grandparents to act on behalf of the child without requiring a court proceeding.