Casey Secures Senate Approval to Fund New Grandparents Law

Funding Would Help Establish Federal Advisory Council to Create a One-Stop-Shop of Resources for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Law

Recently, U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Ranking Member Bob Casey (D-PA) secured the Senate’s approval for $300,000 to establish an advisory council, created by the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act (S. 1091), which would help grandparents raising grandchildren find resources they need. This funding was passed by the Senate as part of H.R. 6157. Before the funding is made available, the bill must be reconciled with companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The bipartisan Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act was introduced by Senator Casey and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and signed into law in July. The new law directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to assemble a federal advisory council that will identify and disseminate information to help grandparents who are raising grandchildren. The council will create a one-stop-shop of resources to help support grandparents raising grandchildren.

“Grandparents raising their grandchildren are often faced with unique challenges such as learning to navigate the school system, planning for their families’ future, addressing mental health issues for themselves and their grandchildren and building social and support networks,” said Senator Casey. “The $300,000 in funding would establish the advisory council that will provide grandparents in Pennsylvania, and across the nation, with easy access to helpful resources and supports they need to raise their grandchildren.”

In Pennsylvania, more than 100,000 children are being raised by grandparents or other relatives, and experts say this number is rising as the opioid epidemic devastates communities.

Watch the archived hearing: Raising Grandchildren in the Opioid Crisis and Beyond.