Support group available for grandparents
raising grandkids
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there
were almost 2 1/2 million households with
grandparents raising their grandchildren.
Officials expect those numbers will be even
higher once data for the 2010 Census is
compiled and released.
Virginia saw a 20-percent increase in the
number of grandparents raising their
grandchildren between 1990 and 2000. Census
data also indicates that four of the five
localities in the New River Valley have
higher rates of grandparents being
responsible for grandchildren than both
state and national rates.
New River Valley Community Services (NRVCS),
the area’s public provider of behavioral
health services, has been offering a free
parenting group that offers support,
information and help for grandparents who
are raising their grandchildren. The group’s
next meeting will be held on Thursday,
June 24 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the
Pearisburg First United Methodist Church
(1101 Valleyview Drive).
According to NRVCS Prevention Specialist Sue
Muffo, who serves as the group’s
facilitator, the group is open to families
throughout the New River Valley. Aside from
the valuable information and support they
receive, Muffo pointed out that free dinner
and childcare are provided for families
participating in the group.
“Many grandparents who are raising their
grandchildren feel overwhelmed by the
emotional and financial demands of caring
for young children on a full-time basis,”
explained Muffo. “They may feel exhausted,
angry, and even resentful…Sometimes they
feel guilty or responsible for the parenting
lapses of their adult children.”
Muffo added that the program helps
participants deal with some of these
challenges, while offering practical
information and opportunities to develop the
skills needed to foster a healthy
relationship with their grandchildren. The
group also provides a safe place for
grandparent-headed families to meet with
other families who are like their own, and
to share experiences and parenting
strategies.
“There’s a real difference between the role
of grandparent versus parent,” Muffo stated.
“Typically, the job of grandparents is to
spoil their grandchildren, but that doesn’t
work out very well when they are the
full-time caregivers.”
The program will also help participants gain
a better understanding of the child’s
experience. Muffo noted that it is not
unusual for children to have behavioral
and/or emotional issues to work through, as
a result of feeling abandoned by their
parents.
While
there is no fee for the program, interested
participants must pre-register. To sign up
or for more information, contact Sue Muffo
at 540-961-8348 or via e-mail at
smuffo@nrvcs.org.
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