Thanks so much to Cam Kettles at the Provincetown Independent for this super-informative article. You can read the whole article online on the Provincetown Independent website.
…a 2019 study by UMass Medical School was staggering: one of every 10 children living on Cape Cod and the Islands is being raised by grandparents.
According to UMass Medical School, 80 percent of Massachusetts grandparents in caretaking roles in 2019 said the reason they had taken on guardianship was related to drug or alcohol use. Sixty-eight percent said they had custody because of opioids.
Foster families could use your help…
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When a family member is suddenly tasked with raising another child, organizations like the Foster Closet, which provices free clothes and supplies, can help ease the transition. “It means everything,” said Tracy Kelley of Mashpee, the aunt to a new 20-month-old baby now in her care. “A lot of people want to support their family. They want to take care of their loved ones. And sometimes that one barrier is just how can I have the resources to make it work.”
With a $20,000 grant from the Amelia Peabody Foundation in Boston, the Foster Closet is preparing a new helpline for grandparents raising children on the Cape. It will directly connect grandparents with other resources and support groups over the phone. “We are so often the first point of contact that any grandparent has ever had with a social service agency on the Cape,” Koehl said.
