U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly co-sponsored a bill to connect grandparents raising grandchildren with additional services and resources.
Kelly said the Informing Grandfamilies Act would have a meaningful impact on families like those who testified in favor of the bill on Thursday.
“In my state of Arizona, there are about 62,000 grandparents who, like the two of you, are the primary responsible caregivers for the grandchildren,” Kelly said.
Kelly said more than half of foster children in Arizona are placed with grandparents or family. That’s a higher rate than the national average.
“This bill will ensure that states are communicating to kinship caregivers, and grand families, what additional supports and relief programs that may be available to them,” Kelly said. “Things like nutrition assistance or Home Energy Assistance.”
Kelly noted rising costs are forcing some grandparents to forgo their own needs, such as certain prescription drugs, to provide for their grandkids.
→ More on the podcast Aging: Grandfamilies from Hear Arizona
