Generations United in the News

Check out this story on NBA.vom written by Shaun Powell, which highlights Desmond Bane, an NBA guard for the Memphis Grizzlies, who was raised by his great-grandparents. The article also quotes Generations United Executive Director Donna Butts. Read it here.

Deepa Fernandes, who is a cohost for NPR’s Here & Now, revisits a conversation she had last December with two Generations United GRAND Voices, Eugene Vickerson and Linda Lewis, about what their experience as grandparents has really been like caring for their grandchildren. Check it out here.

Check Out the 2023 State of Grandfamilies Report

The 2023 State of Grandfamilies report, Building Resilience: Supporting Grandfamilies' Mental Health and Wellness brings attention to the mental health and emotional wellness of grandfamilies, sheds light on their resilience and the challenges they face, and provides innovative solutions and resources to better support them. The report also includes policy and program recommendations for strengthening these incredible families. 

Download the report and the release event materials and recordings.

Thanks to The Brookdale Foundation Group for making this report and event possible, and to Centene Corporation for their valuable support! 

The mission of the Elder Service Partner Program, a Generations United Program of Distinction, is to link the lives of college-aged students with those of older adults in an effort to enrich both by building meaningful intergenerational relationships while serving together. For the ESP Program, students are paired with an Elder Service Partner (ESP) in completing two types of service. First, students join their ESPs in completing 15 hours of volunteer service over the course of the semester. They're encouraged to join their elders in fulfilling the obligations their ESPs have already made to the community. The pairs frequently volunteer at places such as food pantries, nursing facilities, soup kitchens, churches and synagogues, pregnancy centers, fraternity service organizations and other non-profit organizations. In the second activity, students perform interviews with their ESPs in order to create a chapter of their life stories. Specific skills for this assignment are reviewed early in the semester and students are encouraged to meet on at least three occasions to collect information. Learn more.

Have you registered for our live Zoom call about the Bridging Systems for Kinship Families Initiative? If not, there's still time to join us on Thursday, November 30 at 2 p.m. ET! Register here.

We are thrilled to roll out the Bridging Systems for Kinship Families initiative, a unique opportunity to work with the nation's leading experts on kinship families. Apply by January 30 for the chance to receive support to improve collaboration across government systems and nonprofit service providers, address service barriers, and leverage resources to maximize support of all kinship families, whether they are involved in the child welfare system or not. The Network will select two jurisdictions – states, territories, and/or large counties – and Network experts will provide in-depth support to each. The Network's support, all free of charge, will focus on collaborative goals identified by the lead agencies and their partners. Learn more.

As always, the Network is accepting individual requests for assistance from professionals who work in systems or organizations that serve kinship/grandfamilies. Fill out the request assistance form to receive support from our team. Learn more and sign up to access our resources!

Strengthening Cultural Responsiveness In Intergenerational Programs is a new report from Generations United that highlights the intentional and creative ways that organizations combat systemic racism by prioritizing the voices and lived experiences of diverse staff and participants in their practices. Available in English and Spanish. Learn more.

Generations United has updated our Children Thrive in Grandfamilies Fact Sheet, a resource that provides key facts about how children do in the care of relatives and a list of research articles to support the facts. Learn more.

17 New State-Specific Adoption & Guardianship Comparison Charts Are Now Available! These comparison charts help grandfamilies understand the difference between adoption and guardianship for children leaving foster care to permanency with relatives, made possible with support from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Learn more.

Sharing Our Space: A Toolkit for Developing and Enhancing Intergenerational Shared Sites is designed for individuals and organizations interested in creating an intergenerational shared site or enhancing services at their current site. Divided into 10 sections, the toolkit details every step of the development and operation process, from initial planning to sustaining long-term shared site programs. Learn more.

Making the Case for Intergenerational Programs provides rationale and facts to help make the case for intergenerational programs. It is based on a comprehensive review of the literature on intergenerational programs and highlights evidence-based findings on how intergenerational programs benefit everyone. There is also an accompanying fact sheet available in English and Spanish. Learn more.

Staying Healthy Across Generations: Vaccines are Essential for All Ages is an infographic that illustrates that vaccines aren't just for kids - they protect all generations, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Staying up to date on vaccines for the flu, pneumonia, and whooping cough is important to protect both older adults and children. Learn more.