BOSTON, 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 has joined with the Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in holding eight town halls throughout the state this fall.
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. 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.
The town hall closest to Wilmington will take place on Tuesday, October 25, from 6pm to 8pm, at Middlesex Community College, in the F. Bradford Morse Federal Building (50 Kearney Square, Lowell).
The session will include brief presentations from the Commission and the AG’s Office and an open forum for kinship caregivers to share their experiences and to make suggestions. After the presentations, staff from local resource centers and service providers will be on hand to meet attendees and provide additional information.
The Commission serves as a resource to the Commonwealth on issues affecting grandparents and all relatives raising children. More information about the Commission can be found HERE.
Those interested in attending can contact Colleen Pritoni at the Commission, 617-748-2454. Walk-ins are also welcome.
(NOTE: The above press release is from the Massachusetts General Attorney’s Office.)
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