Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Get Help at Feb. 17 Resource Fair
It’s called “kinship care,” when family life circumstances change and grandparents take on the full responsibility of raising their grandchildren. The 2016 U.S. Census indicated that 2.5 million grandparents were parents again.
The job comes with questions and challenges, so local organizations are reaching out to grandparents at the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Resource Fair from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday FEB. 17, at the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library. It’s sponsored by the Library, Grands Raising Grands and NAACP, Be a Jewel program.
The event is free but registration is underway; call 417-862-0135.
This come-and-go fair will provide grandparent families with a one-stop-shop of resources that address the variety of services:
· Get an Emergency ID kit from MoChip, including photos, fingerprints, dental bite impression, DNA sample collection and laminated ID cards.
· While grandparents are sampling resources, Springfield Art Museum staff will have crafts for children in the Teen Room.
· Get a free family photo taken by a professional photographer in the Edge Media Lab. Photos will be emailed to families following the event.
· Visit information tables hosted by these and other community organizations: Abilities First, Burrell Behavioral Health, Community Partnership of the Ozarks, Diaper Bank of the Ozarks, Legal Services of Southern Missouri, Missouri Parents Act (MPACT), OACAC, One Door, Parents as Teachers, United Way and WIC.
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An average of 900 people sign up for library card every month in and around Greene County, many of them intending to use it to check out books and movies. But many people new to the library don’t realize all the other benefits of a library card, so we’ve launched a new service in February for “first timers.”
New-card registrants will receive an email welcoming them to the library, and once a month for a year they will receive another brief email about new titles, online courses, research or entertainment they can access with their library card.
If you already have a library card but would like monthly updates about programs based on your interests, you can sign up at thelibrary.org/newsletter.
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