Progress Report: Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Year One Progress Report: Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren ACL is pleased to announce the first progress report on the work of its Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (the council). The report highlights council activities since the passing of the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act, including member selection, subcommittees, key meetings, and the future report to Congress. Since its first meeting in August 2019, the council: Met regularly in subcommittee or full council meetings Developed a mission statement, vision statement, and guiding principles Created a COVID-19 Resource Guide for Kinship Families and Grandfamilies Identified key recommendations to include in its report to Congress Issued a Request for Information (RFI) to gather input from all stakeholders In response to the RFI, ACL received 307 submissions, of which 48% identified as grandparents and 31% identified as representing a community organization or government agency. A thorough analysis of responses will inform the council’s report to Congress.  RFI data show that financial issues like fixed incomes, childcare expenses, and insurance costs, are the top concern of respondents. Respondents also identified roadblocks to support, such as age limitations on some services, services that vary by location, long waiting periods, and a lack of/challenges finding information about available resources. ACL expects to finalize a detailed report of RFI data in early 2021.