Volume 28

Generations United to Host Congressional Briefing on Policies Impacting Children in Foster Care, Relative Caregivers

Congressional Briefing on Policies Impacting Grandparent Caregivers and Children in Foster Care

There are more than 500,000 children in our nation's foster care system. A significant number of these children live with grandparents or other relative caregivers. For 20,000 of these children - for whom reunification or adoption are not an option - living with grandparents or relative caregivers means the difference between a safe, permanent home or languishing permanently in foster care.

Yet grandparent and relative caregivers face a myriad of obstacles in providing safe, permanent homes for the children in their care. Generations United will convene a Congressional briefing to address the difficulties facing grandparent caregivers and the children in their care. The briefing will focus on pending federal policies on subsidized guardianship, housing, and other supports and services that can help these families. A new report will also be released which contains the most recent state-by-state data on the number of children living with relative caregivers. Confirmed participants will include:

Invited participants include:

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson, Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR), Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH), Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND), Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)

RSVP: Space is limited. Please contact Roxana Martinez at 202-289-3979 or rmartinez@gu.org. FOR PRESS QUESTIONS Contact Gina Russo 202-421-3578 (phone) or mediaiq@comcast.net