Grandparents Day and grandparents raising their grandchildren thoughts and resources

Kathleen Anderson

September is a busy month – it includes Labor Day, the first day of school, locally, the first day of fall and Grandparents Day.

If you missed that last event mentioned, you are not alone, although there are millions of reasons to celebrate Grandparent Day all over the world. I will share one recent example with you – a conversation I had with my five-year-old great-granddaughter:

Me:                 What are you going to be for Halloween this year, Prairie?

Prairie:           A vampire!

Me:                 Cool! And what is Willow going to be? (Her two-year old brother)

Prairie:           He gets to be the person I suck the blood from!

She then went on to describe in graphic detail how he would have fake blood on his face and neck and she would have fangs and fake blood around her mouth. Now, who wants to miss out on these deep, meaningful conversations? Why would I have a reason to laugh everyday without these pearls that routinely drop from the lips of my babes?

And it is too bad that more is not made of this holiday celebrating this special population, because in addition to family gatherings and celebrations, nationwide there are 2.7 million grandparents raising their grandchildren.

And these grandparents face many challenges – new technologies, working from home, schooling from home, or if the grandchildren do attend school, but are under the age of 12, the possibility of bringing home viruses that could be detrimental to their grandparents' health.

Grandmother with grandson outdoors in park in medical masks sit on a bench with smartphone. Boy shows something on screen. Chatting or playing game. …

The children too, are facing an uncertain future. Loss of their parent(s), changes in location of their home and school, and fear of what’s to come if something happens to their grandparents.

No matter how close this relationship was in the past together, they now face a brand-new world. Nor are the grandchildren necessarily the only ones in the family requiring care.

Let us not forget the grandparent(s) is dealing with the loss of their child due to death, incarceration, or mental illness.

One grandmother I met was taking care of her husband, who had suffered a stroke, before the arrival of three grandchildren. Their parents had been murdered.

Another grandmother was caring for her son, who was living at home, with mental health issues and raising her daughter’s teenage son, while working full time.

Life happens…

I recently met with a co-worker of my daughter’s who found herself in this special group of grandparents and was feeling overwhelmed. She knew there had to be resources available but didn’t know where to begin to look.

I suggested she begin by looking at the website for the Kinship Care DSHS Social Services for the State of Washington

There is a wealth of information here, including but not limited to the following:

Kinship Navigators, Resource Persons, and Support Groups:

This is where you can find your local contact information for support groups, Kinship Navigators and resource persons who are there to support you and other grandparents and relatives raising children.

Benefits and Services:

Learn about Kinship Navigators, Financial Help, Child Care, Free or Reduced-Price Food, Foster Care Resources for Children with an Intellectual/Developmental Disability, Free Recreational Passes, and more.

Health Care:

• Applying for Children’s Health Coverage,
• Finding Dental Care, Mental Health Services,
• Drug and Alcohol Services,
• Informed Consent for Medical and Mental Health Services,
• and Resources for Children with Disabilities

Other links include legal issues - legal options, legal services, and child support resources.

Grandparents who are raising their grandchildren may not be aware of the many tax benefits they may be able to claim.

Here is a brief FAQ about what’s at stake

You might also be eligible for the same tax benefits available to a parent raising children. If you qualify, these tax benefits can help you financially by reducing your tax bill, and maybe even give you a large tax refund*:

• The dependent exemption – reduces taxable income by up to $4,050 per grandchild
• The child tax credit – up to $1,000 per child (*This credit is “refundable,” meaning that the credit will be paid to you even if you don’t owe any tax. You must have earned income of at least $3,000 to receive the refundable credit.)
• The earned income tax credit (EITC) (also refundable) – up to $6,269, based on income and number of grandchildren
• The child and dependent care credit – up to $2,100, based on income and number of children

*All amounts listed are for tax year 2016. For more information, follow this link.

Finally, there is a free online publication that I am fond of for all grandparents. It’s called GRAND and it offers information, ideas, and stories for all of us, click here for link.

Kathleen Anderson writes this column each week from her home in Olympia.  Contact her at  kathleen@theJOLTnews.com or post your comment below.