June 23, 2022
GRANDFAMILIES ALERT
Hello Friends of Grandfamilies,

Below you will find some recent updates and resources from the field. If you know anyone who may be interested in receiving these alerts, please forward this to them and/or encourage them to sign up here.
TOP NEWS
Generations United Executive Director Advocate
For More Grandfamilies Support at Senate Hearing

Senate Special Committee on Aging invited Generations United Executive Director Donna Butts to testify before the committee at the Thursday morning hearing.

Butts, a selected consensus witness, spoke out for more support for grandfamilies. GRAND Voice Gail Engel also testified. See the entire witness list here. We thank Committee Chair, Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), Ranking Member, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and the entire committee for this distinguished opportunity. Watch Here.
EVENTS
2023 Casey Excellence for Children Awards
Invite you to honor someone you know who is making a difference for children and families by nominating them for a 2023 Casey Excellence for Children Award. Maybe you know someone who created a program or organization that mitigated the impact of COVID-19 in their community. Or maybe it is someone whose efforts effectively addressed disproportionality in the child welfare system. Or maybe you know someone who had an impact on lowering the number of children coming into foster care through increased family and community supports. Whoever comes to mind that inspires you, please consider nominating an alumni of foster care, birth parent, kinship caregiver or resource parent who has demonstrated extraordinary efforts on behalf of those involved in child welfare by clicking here.
Your Voice, Our Future!
Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) invites persons with lived expertise with the child welfare system to provide input into ongoing revisions of CWLA’s Standard of Excellence for Child Protective Services and the creation of the Standard of Excellence for Community Based Prevention Services. 

They're seeking assistance from members in gathering input from a broad range of individuals with lived expertise. This includes the parents/caregivers [birth, step, foster, kin, non-relative kin (fictive kin), and adoptive] and community representatives whom your agencies interact with. Learn more here.
"The Kinship Experience"
Movie Premier
Vermont Kin as Parents and The Community of Vermont Elders are hosting a limited seating premier of "The Kinship Experience", on June 29 at Essex Cinema in Essex Junction - There also will be an opportunity to meet a few of the folks in the film and have a discussion about Kinship care. The preview can be seen here. Questions or requests to have a special showing discussion can be made by calling (802) 871-5104 and asking for Mara.
RESOURCES
Federal Law Enforcement Agencies Warn of Impersonation Scam Involving Credentials and Badges
SSA Office of the Inspector General want to share a press release to alert you and your clients that scammers are reviving an old tactic to gain trust. Scammers are emailing and texting pictures of real and doctored law enforcement credentials and badges to prove they are legitimate and scam people out of money. Please read the press release for more information on how the scam works and scam prevention tips.
June is National Reunification
Celebration Month
National Reunification Month, celebrated in June of each year to recognize efforts around the country to help families reunite and stay together. Bringing greater awareness to this month is an opportunity to help change the narrative around child welfare towards one that prioritizes supporting families rather than separating them from each other.
Rally has created a social media tool kit, intended to raise the importance of reunification. Children's Bureau also has several resources. American Bar Association has a long-standing commitment to reunification.
CAREGIVER CORNER
Today.com Features GRAND Voice Keith Lowhorne in Father's Day Story
A Today.com Father’s Day story focuses on GRAND Voice Keith Lowhorne, whose story provides a window into the lives of the hundreds of thousands of grandparents who are raising grandchildren. He and his wife, Edie, reflect on parenting again.
GRAND Voice Mercedes Bristol Receives Casey Family Programs' Kin Caregiver Award
Congratulations to Mercedes Bristol, Texas Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Executive Director and Generations United GRAND Voice, who received an amazing accolade for her tireless advocacy for grandfamilies. Casey Family Programs presented Bristol with a Kinship Caregiver Award during its 2022 Casey Excellence for Children Awards ceremony. 
Thanks for reading this newsletter. If you have anything you would like included in future newsletters, please send them to Jamarl D. Clark at jclark@gu.org. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this newsletter. Feel free to reply with any feedback or comments.

Best,
The Grandfamilies Team