Continuing Education: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Completion of this class will result in the receipt of three (3) continuing education hours.

Approximately 2.7 million grandparents in the United States are raising their grandchildren without a parent present, with the majority raised only by the grandmother. The proportions of these grandparents are highest among Black, Hispanic, and Native-American families. Data from New York State show 122,000 grandparents are raising their grandchildren, and they are doing so informally, outside of the foster care system. Factors contributing to grandparents’ caregiving include parental substance abuse, incarceration, child abuse/maltreatment, mental illness, and death. In addition, when parents are unable to care for their child, federal child placement laws specify a preference for placement with relatives, and in most instances, this is the grandparent. These families face many challenges including financial strain, psychological and emotional stress, and transitioning to their new roles. The COVID-19 pandemic further intensified these challenges as it impacted both generations. This workshop, taught by Carole Cox, Ph.D., will discuss the issues that confront these families and the social work interventions that can assist them.

About the Instructor
Carole Cox is a professor at the Graduate School of Social Service at Fordham University. She is a Fulbright Scholar and representative of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGGO) to the United Nations. She is the author of eight books and more than 60 chapters and journal articles, with the majority focusing on older adults. For many years, she worked specifically with grandparents raising grandchildren, having developed and facilitated with the NYC Department for the Aging an empowerment training program for these caregivers. The recent COVID-19 pandemic put an extra strain on these families and the empowerment program was offered virtually. The program continues to be offered as it specifically addresses the needs of these families.