The unexpected role gain of being a parental surrogate to a grandchild changes the timing of one's life cycle events. A grandparent's social clock becomes disrupted and financial resources are re-directed toward caregiving. Assuming the off-time parent role and the transition to enacting the role are stressful. The provision of the State Kinship Care Services Program works toward decreasing stress through a menu of supportive services. These services illustrate the process of research to policy to practice.
Research serves to inform policy.
Policy dictates practice. In 1997 she received ORCA's Research Fellowship Award for her dissertation research on grandparent caregivers. She was hired by the Ohio Department of aging to write the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Report to the General Assembly and remains an advocate for grandparent caregiver rights through the Ohio Grandparent Coalition. As we approach the year 2000, ORCA is also looking ahead. Throughout this newsletter you will find indicators of our current involvement.