This Sunday is Grandparents Day, a national observance celebrated the first Sunday after Labor Day. Grandparents Day was declared by President Jimmy Carter in a proclamation stating, "As we seek to strengthen the enduring values of the family, it is important that we honor our grandparents."
Grandparents play an important role in families at a time when the family unit can be fragile. Here are a few facts to think about from the Census for 2011:
- 7 million grandparents in the United States had grandchildren living with them
- 2.7 million grandparents were responsible for the basic needs of one or more grandchildren living with them
- 594,000 grandparents taking care of their grandchildren were doing so with incomes below the poverty level
- 5.5 million children were living with a grandparent, and, almost half were below the age of 6
Here in Essex County, FAMILYConnections is working to build strong families by providing positive and caring educational, psychological, and social services. One way we do this is through our SeniorConnections and CaregiverConnections programs. These programs provide in-home counseling, advocacy, education and care management for seniors and caregivers - including grandparents (60+) raising their grandchildren. To learn more, please call 973 675-3817 or visit our website at www.familyconnectionsnj.org.
This Sunday, do something grand to honor the grandparent in your life.
