A few years ago, local resident Rick Barree wrote a powerful and poignant article for The Good Life about the challenges of raising a grandchild. As part of Caregiver Month, we are sharing some of his comments in honor of all the older people caring for children in our community.

Rick’s journey as a grandparent

Summer is flying by and folks are starting to think about children returning to school. Back to school can be a challenging time for many reasons; reconfiguring and reacclimating to school schedules, collecting necessary supplies, securing clothes for the upcoming winter, school physicals, and so many more logistics. It can be even more daunting for

According to Jan Doody, Parent Educator & Grandparent Resource Coordinator at The United Arc, it is estimated that there are over 150 families in Franklin County in which an older relative is raising a child. Grandparents are often called upon to bring a grandchild into their home when the child’s parents are not able to

I have been involved with the “Grandparents’ Group” hosted by Valuing Our Children in Athol, Massachusetts for approximately a year and a half now. My affiliation with these fine people began in March of 2018 when I was called upon to take custody of my two granddaughters due to my daughter’s troubles with opiate abuse:

Caregiver grants from LifePath offer caregivers and grandparents raising grandchildren under the age of 18 an opportunity to refresh and renew away from their caregiving and childrearing responsibilities.

Caregivers have used these grants to pay someone (a family member, friend or neighbor) to provide them with in-home respite so they can rest; take a class; visit