1) National organizations
Administration on Aging, Grandparents Resources
Administration on Aging, Center for Communication and Consumer Services/DHHS, 200 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20201; 202-619-0724; aoainfo@aoa.gov; www.aoa.gov/prof/notes/notes_grandparents.asp
Addresses issues involving three generations of grandparents raising grandchildren: themselves, their children and the grandchildren.
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Foundation, Grandparent Information Center (GIC)
601 E St. NW, Wash., DC 20049; 888-687-2277; gic@aarp.org; www.aarp.org/families/grandparents/
Helps grandparents cope with their parenting role; answers questions. Membership in AARP not required; Spanish available.
Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)
American Public Human Services Association; 810 First Street, NE, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20002; 202-682-0100; http://icpc.aphsa.org
Requires certain procedures in the interstate placement of children being adopted, placed with relatives, or entering residential care or foster family homes.
The Brookdale Foundation
950 Third Ave., 19th Floor, New York, NY 10022; 212-308-7355; mpp@brookdalefoundation.org; www.brookdalefoundation.org
Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP) provides services for grandparents and other caregivers.
Casey Family Programs
1300 Dexter Avenue North , Floor 3, Seattle, WA 98109-3542; 206-282-7300; www.casey.org
Provides an array of services for children and youth, with foster care as its core. Services include adoption, guardianship, kinship care and family reunification.
Center for Child and Family Programs (CCFP)
Institute for the Study of Children, Families and Communities/CCFP, 203 Boone Hall, Ypsilanti, MI 48197; 734-487-0372; www.iscfc.emich.edu/Center%20for%20Child%20and%20Family%20Programs/Center%20for%20Child%20and%20Family%20Programs.htm
Shapes local, state and national child/family policies; conducts research, demonstrates new models of service, develops training curricula and develops policy recommendations.
Center for Family Connections ( CFFC)
350 Cambridge Street , Cambridge, MA 02141 ; 617-547-0909 or 800-KINNECT; cffc@kinnect.org; www.kinnect.org
Provides services for individuals and families touched by adoption, foster care, kinship and guardianship.
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Children’s Bureau/ACYF, 1250 Maryland Avenue, SW, Eighth Floor, Washington, DC 20024; 703-385-7565 or 800-394-3366; info@childwelfare.gov; www.childwelfare.gov
Connects professionals and the general public to resources for children and families.
Child Welfare League of America (CWLA)
2345 Crystal Drive, Suite 250 , Arlington, VA 22202 ; (p) 703-412-2400; (f) 703-412-2401; www.cwla.org
One of the oldest organizations dedicated to family welfare.
Children of Alcoholics Foundation (COAF)
164 West 74th St. , New York, NY 10023 ; 646-505-2060; coaf@phoenixhouse.org; www.coaf.org
An affiliate of Phoenix House; offers assistance on kinship care.
Children’s Defense Fund
25 E St. NW, Washington, DC 20001; 202-628-8787 or 800-233-1200; cdfinfo@childrensdefense.org; www.childrensdefense.org
Particular emphasis on poor, minority, and disabled children.
DNA Services of America
1507 Kaliste Saloom Rd. , Suite D, Lafayette, LA 70508; 866-436-2762; info@dnasoa.com; www.dnasoa.com
Provides DNA services to those who need answers to important questions that can be resolved through DNA testing.
Florida Kinship Center (FKC)
Florida Kinship Center at USF School of Social Work, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., MGY 132, Tampa, FL 33620; 813-974-1328, or warmline in Florida only: 800-640-6444; kinfo@flkin.org; www.flkin.usf.edu
While FKC is not a national organization, this magazine has a close working relationship with the Center, which offers comprehensive resources.
Generations United
1331 H St. NW, Suite 900 , Washington, DC 20005 ; 202-289-3979; gu@gu.org; www.gu.org
Focused solely on improving the lives of children, youth and older people through intergenerational strategies, programs and public policies.
GrandFamilies of America
National Office: 6525 Fish Hatchery Rd., Thurmont, MD 21788. Toll free 1-866-203-8926, ext. 8103, fax 301-898-4462, cell 301-898-7458; grandfamiliesofamerica@yahoo.com; www.grandfamiliesofamerica.org
The only grandparent organization in the U.S. administered totally by relatives caring for their relative children 24/7. Warmline operated 24/7. Impressive record of successful legislative initiatives across the country. The only grandparent organization staffed by a full-time attorney. Established networking relationships with national associates working in the same field.
Mooseheart Child City & School
Mooseheart , IL 60539 , (p) 630-906-3631; fax 630-859-6630; KRife@mooseheart.org; www.mooseheart.org
Provides an alternative placement option to grandparents who need temporary residence for the children in their care due to health or other reasons.
The National Association of Former Foster Care Children of America (NAFFCCA)
5505 5th Street NW , Washington, DC ; 202-291-1603; info@naffcca.org
NAFFCCA provides mentoring, job training, housing and an independent-living program for youths who are aging out of the foster care system.
National Committee of Grandparents for Children’s Rights (NCGCR)
School of Social Welfare/ HSC, Level 2, Rm. 093/Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8231; (helpline) 866-624-9900; bcastellano@grandparentsforchildren.org; www.grandparentsforchildren.org
The largest nonprofit grandparent organization in the U.S. for grandparent- and relative caregivers as well as those seeking visitation. NCGCR provides legal research, state and federal advocacy, an online support group and a toll-free helpline. NCGCR also works with grandparent organizations around the world to bring a global perspective to relative caregiving.
2) Information on specific states
AARP, in collaboration with several other organizations, has excellent fact sheets on its Web site, covering every state. Includes local resources and key public benefit programs: www.aarp.org/research/family/grandparenting/aresearch-import-488.html
New York State Navigator Program
30 N. Clinton Avenue , Rochester, NY 14604 ; 877-4KinInfo (877-454-6463); Fax: 585-454-6286; E-mail: navigator@nysnavigator.org
The Kinship Navigator is a new statewide program operated by Catholic Family Center and is specifically designed to provide information and resources to kinship caregivers across all of New York State.
3) Legal help
American Bar Association
800-285-2221
Provides an excellent “Consumer’s Guide to Legal Help” Web site for every state: www.abanet.org; click “find legal help,” then click on your state.
Legal Advocates for Permanent Parenting (LAPP)
3182 Campus Drive Suite 175 , San Mateo, CA 94403 ; 650-712-1442; info@LAPPonline.org; www.lapponline.org
Provides self-help legal information, training, consulting, and policy development for caregiver families and their child welfare partners.
State visitation and custody laws
The National Committee of Grandparents for Children’s Rights, NCGCR, has compiled a comprehensive list of state laws/statutes concerning grandparent visitation and custody. To access the links for each state, go to NCGCR’s Web site, www.grandparentsforchildren.org, and click on the Resources button on the home page.