Worcester Among Town Halls Planned to Discuss Opioid Epidemic Impact on Caregivers

WORCESTER, MA—Looking to discuss the impact of substance use on families, and provide support for grandparents and other kinship caregivers raising children, Attorney General Maura Healey joined forces with the Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren to hold eight town halls throughout the state this fall, including one in Worcester.

The town hall in Worcester takes place on Thursday, Oct. 13, from 6-8 p.m. at the Worcester Senior Center, 128 Providence St.

With the rapid rise in opioid use and opioid-related deaths in recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of grandparent and kinship caregivers stepping up to raise children who have been impacted by this crisis, said the press release. Between 2010 and 2015, the number of children cared for by relatives in Massachusetts has increased by more than 50 percent.

During these town halls, the Commission and the AG’s Office will hear from grandparents and other caregivers about how substance use has impacted their lives and the children they are raising, and learn about the issues that are important to them. The AG’s Office and the Commission will also provide resources for treatment and family support services, and share information about the work the offices are doing to combat the opioid epidemic.