Therefore, it is quite possible that even after the current figures are calculated and available we will continue to have inaccurate and incomplete numbers. Whether the numbers that we are able to obtain are accurate or not, the fact that grandparents and other relatives who are raising their kin's children is a continuing and ever growing phenomenon in this country. Our membership consists of professionals and grandparents throughout the state who have researched the issues and see a need for Wisconsin to join their fellow states in acting upon them. We have examined how states have reacted to grandparent concerns and issues and have discovered that Wisconsin is lagging in providing assistance for relatives who have taken on the responsibility of raising their relative's children, particularly those who are doing it on an informal basis. We have a library of bills and laws from states as diverse as California, Nebraska, Hawaii, Minnesota, Kentucky and Indiana to study and to enable us to see how other states have resolved this expanding problem.
Many states recognize how grandparents and relatives have provided a safety net for families.
We have been in touch with our state legislators and are contacting members of the educational and medical communities to enlist their aid in our work. We welcome your participation on the Legislative Task Force. Our meetings so far have been held bimonthly via ET or telephone with mailings between meetings. We look forward to working with you.