Grandfamilies and Substance Use
Hello! Welcome to Overdosed a weekly newsletter on drug policy and people who use drugs by me, Diane Roznowski.
Thanks for your patience during my surgery recovery! The procedures went well, but I was completely wiped out for about a week after.
In the last newsletter, I shared the episode of Last Day my family was featured on. In it, we talked about becoming a grandfamily when my sister Emily died and I talked a little bit about my job where I work on issues related to grandfamilies.
Grandfamilies are families in which children are raised by grandparents, other relatives, or close family friends. These families come together because of countless situations but common ones currently include mental health challenges, disabilities, military deployment, deportation or detainment, death, and substance use.
In 2018, there were 2.65 million children being raised in grandfamilies but only 140, 675 of those children were being raised by grandfamilies within the foster care system. That means for every one child being raised by relatives in the foster care system, there are 19 being raised by relatives outside the system. Children raised by relatives inside the system are more likely to be receiving supports and services, but many of their caregivers are not licensed as foster parents which means they will not receive monthly foster care payments.
Grandfamilies often come together suddenly which means there’s no time to plan for the costs associated with raising children. Many grandfamily caregivers report spending down their savings or retirement accounts trying to secure legal custody or to provide the children with everything they need.
Grandfamilies face many challenges but children raised in grandfamilies have better behavioral and mental health outcomes, are more likely to have a permanent home, are as safe or safer than children raised in traditional foster care, are more likely to stay connected to their siblings and cultural identity, and they’re more likely to report always feeling loved.
Grandfamilies that come together as the result of parental substance use may face additional or different challenges. Grandfamily caregivers may have to navigate managing the relationship the parent has with the child while worrying about the child’s safety and the parent’s substance use. Caregivers may be grieving the overdose death of the child’s parent while also addressing the child’s grief and other needs.
It’s not always easy but with support, these families can help children thrive.
Further Reading
Raising the Children of the Opioid Epidemic: Solutions and Supports for Grandfamilies
Grand Resource: Help for Grandfamilies Impacted by Opioids and Other Substance Use
Current Reading
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