Golden years now a time to raise child

A kinship care event aims to help those raising their children's children.

By CHANDRA BROADWATER
Published June 14, 2007

BROOKSVILLE - Sean was 6 when his great-grandmother began to take care of him.

Four years later, 68-year-old Dolores Mrozowski has custody of Sean. She realizes the situation is unlikely to change unless her granddaughter wins her battle with drugs.

In social service circles, it's known as kinship care - grandparents such as the Mrozowskis who are raising their children's children or beyond. Nearly 14, 000 children in this region are in such living arrangements.

For many grandparents, raising children is not the retirement activity they had in mind.

"We retired here, and three months later, we got him, " Mrozowski said.

With her own daughter deceased, Mrozowski and her husband, Joe, 79, were the closest kin to the boy.

It's a story often repeated in the county. People who are raising their grandchildren - or in her case, great-grandchildren - in their golden years. Mrozowski helps run a support group for others in her situation.

"So many grandparents, they're embarrassed to say that they're raising their grandchildren, " she said. "You lose a lot of your friends. Nine out of 10 times, you have the child if you want to go somewhere, and they don't want to be around children."

Along with the social costs, it can prove to be a financial challenge as well, Mrozowski said. Many grandparents are at a loss of what to do.

Of the 13, 970 children being supported by their grandparents in state Department of Children and Families District 13 - consisting of Hernando, Citrus, Sumter, Lake and Marion counties - less than 1, 000 are under supervision by the child welfare system, according to the state Department of Elderly Affairs.

That means families like the Mrozowskis aren't receiving the much-needed services and support that a foster parent might receive.

To address this growing need, Kids Central Inc., which oversees child welfare in District 13, decided to hold the first Kinship Care Conference.

On Saturday, grandparents and others affected by similar situations are invited to attend an all-day event to learn more about available services.

Speakers and workshops will address the emotional, legal, financial and other challenges of raising another family member's child, said Lynn Routh, Kids Central spokeswoman.

On Friday, professionals are invited to attend a similar event focusing on kinship care. Among the speakers is Jerry Regier, principal deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

If you go

Kinship Care Conference

Where: Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites Conference Center, Ocala

FRIDAY

Professional Day: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Fee: $50 ($45 for two or more from the same agency). Includes lunch and conference materials.

SATURDAY

Kinship Care Provider Day: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Fee: Free for the first 150 attendees. The day includes lunch, child care and conference materials.

For information: Call Kids Central at (352) 873-6332, or visit www.kidscentralinc.org.

If you go

Two-day event slated in Ocala

Kinship Care Conference Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites Conference Center, Ocala

Friday

Professional Day: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Fee: $50 ($45 for two or more from the same agency). Includes lunch and conference materials.

Saturday

Kinship Care Provider Day: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Fee: Free for the first 150 attendees. The day includes lunch, child care and conference materials.

For information: Call Kids Central at (352) 873-6332, or visit www.kidscentralinc.org.

[Last modified June 13, 2007, 21:27:27]