Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Committee 3rd Annual Michigan Kinship Care Conference and grand family Reunion

What is Kinship Care?

Kinship Care is a term used to describe the practice of raising a relative’s child when
the child’s parents are unable or unwilling to do so. This family form is growing and
receiving considerable attention of policy makers, social service providers and researchers.
In Michigan, over 200,000 children are raised in Kinship Care. They are from all walks
of life and all cultural and economic groups. Kinship Caregivers range from 30-90 years
of age, and the majority of Kinship Caregivers are single women. Most have cared for the
children five years or longer and are raising one or two children. Their average income is
between $15,000 and $25,000.

The purpose of this conference is to address some of the issues that Kinship Caregivers
and professionals face on a daily basis. The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Committee, a collaboration of nonprofit agencies committed to informing, providing
resources to and advocating for the concerns of this growing population, designed this
conference to address some of the issues facing Kinship Caregivers. The first day of the
conference will be dedicated to addressing the challenges of raising a child with special
needs. The participants will have the opportunity to dialogue, share concerns, address
issues and gain understanding of current best practices in the field.

The two day conference is FREE to Kinship Caregivers, and $25 if you are not a caregiver,
and it includes all sessions, continental breakfast and lunch.

NEW THIS YEAR

In collaboration with Wayne State University, this conference will be offering a separate
professional track on September 8, the first day of the conference, for Social Workers
and Nurses. This track will offer 5.5 continuing education credits and will run from
8:30 am—4:30 pm. This track, for professionals only, will cost $60 and includes all
sessions, continental breakfast and lunch. More information and a registration form
is included in the back of this packet.
 

Download Flyer here (PDF Format)