|
|
A Closer Look At West Virginia's "Relative As Parents" Program And The Resources It Offers
Across the United States, there are 7 million children that are being raised in households headed by grandparents and other relatives; 2.5 million children are in these households without any parents present. As the children's parents struggle with substance abuse, mental illness, incarceration, economic hardship, divorce, domestic violence, and other challenges, these caregivers provide a vital safety net and play the role of a parent to these children inside and outside of the foster care system.
In West Virginia alone, there are nearly 24,276 children living in grandparent-headed households. There are another 3,940 children living in households headed by other relatives. Of the children living in households headed by grandparents or other relatives in West Virginia, 10,809 are living there without either parent present. Around 16,151 grandparents report they are responsible for their grandchildren living with them. Nearly 23% of them live in poverty. These instances brought WRAPP into life.
The WVRAPP stands for West Virginia Relative as Parent Program is a group that supports community group of kin caregivers by providing group facilitators training. They also provide technical assistance, produce and distribute resource materials, maintaining a list for kin caregivers and professionals, producing and distributing a quarterly newsletter, publish a resource manual, referring kin caregivers to services in the community, and holding conferences and retreats. The Relatives as Parents Program was initiated in 1996. It was made to encourage and promote the creation or expansion of services for grandparents and other relatives who have taken on the responsibility of surrogate parenting due to the absence of the parents. The program aim to promote the restoration of values for these children even in the absence of their biological parents.
The WVRAPP has five primary goals and they are as follows:
1. To enhance the capacity of communities to provide support services to relative caregivers.
2. To enhance the capacity of relative caregivers to provide for children's needs.
3. To increase the number of children who remain with relative caregivers over time.
4. To decrease stress and burden in relative caregivers.
5. To sustain WVRAPP groups in West Virginia communities.
The West Virginia Relatives as Parents Program (WVRAPP) is a collaborative joint of the West Virginia University Extension Service, West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, and Mission West Virginia, Inc. Over the past several years, it was being funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Resources, Administration for Children and Families, the Brookdale Foundation, and the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services. This is the only one out of the nine programs that offers a state-wide program. The support groups across the state reach out to relative caregivers to improve their lives and the lives of the children in their care.
Parenting is a difficult job when the children are a person's own offspring. To be a foster parent, whether the child is a family member or from a different family altogether, often adds to the challenges. The WRAPP knows the challenges of being a kin caregiver or relative parent. The feeling of overwhelmed by sadness, tiredness, financial obligations, behavioral problems, legal concerns and the need for income resources. All of these are fully understand by WRAPP. The program provides services and resources for kin caregivers and those who need help with their parenting responsibilities.
|
 |
Please Rate: |
|
Rating: |
 Processing ... |
(Average: Not rated) |
| Views: | 3 | |
|
| More Articles from Home and Family | | |
| Top Articles in Home and Family | | |
|
