- A third of Leon County grandparents are responsible for their grandchildren under 18 years of age, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
- Grandparents as Parents is one of our neighborhood resources stepping in to help these families; they say demand has increased.
- Watch the video to hear from grandparents who are the primary caregivers for their grandchildren, and how GaP is helping them out.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Supporting grandparents facing new childcare responsibilities.
“We’re trying to help them get through something they weren’t planning on,” said Karen Boebinger, who runs the Grandparents as Parents (GaP) program at the Tallahassee Senior Center.
Finding out about the challenge grandparents are facing in this role, and how free resources like this one can help navigate this journey.
Felicia Rodriguez has had custody of her grandchildren for 3 years.
“Well, we went from being empty nesters of 12 years, to kind of starting all over again because they’re so young,” said Rodriguez. “Hayden, Connor, and then the youngest is Mason, and then Madison is 3.”