Happy Spring!

On behalf of everyone at The Commission on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, we wish you all a safe and healthy spring. Although we are not out of the woods just yet from the COVID-19 pandemic, optimism is in the air! We hope you all are able to enjoy time with loved ones soon after a very challenging year.

For the most updated information about COVID-19, state guidelines, and vaccinations in Massachusetts,
please visit:
Important News and Information:
Child Tax Credit Information

Are you wondering if you/your family are eligible to receive the Child Tax Credit? For information about the Child Tax Credit as part of the American Rescue Plan Act 2021, please take some time to read through the information provided by Generations United.
Card-to-Culture Program through DTA

Because of the generosity of the participating organizations, DTA clients can receive discounted admissions by showing their EBT card. Places like Old Sturbridge Village, EcoTarium, and the Boston Children's Museums all participate in this program to provide free or reduced admission for families who receive TAFDC, including the child-only grant and the P-EBT card. Learn more by clicking on the tab below.
Check out this AMAZING resource for your grandchild!

Special Olympics is spreading inclusion to every town, every city, every school, every workplace, every community in Massachusetts. The athletes, coaches and volunteers of Special Olympics Massachusetts are changing the way the world sees individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Special Olympics Massachusetts offers year-round sports training and competition to athletes with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics training programs and competitions are offered to athletes of all ages and take place throughout the year.

The Traditional Sports offered at Special Olympics Massachusetts:
  • Basketball
  • Bocce
  • Bowling
  • Corn Toss
  • Cycling
  • Equestrian
  • Figure Skating
  • Flag Football
  • Floor Hockey
  • Golf
  • Gymnastics
  • Powerlifting
  • Roller Skating
  • Sailing
  • Skiing
  • Snow Boarding
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Speed Skating
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Track & Field
  • Volleyball

To learn more, click on the link below:
Federal Housing Legislation for
Grand-Families: Grandfamily Housing Act

James P. McGovern (MA-02) and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) reintroduced the Grandfamily Housing Act, a bill to create a new, nationwide pilot program to provide funding to help grandparents raising their grandchildren access safe, affordable and appropriate housing. McGovern and Pressley began working together on the issue in 2019, holding a roundtable in Worcester, Mass. where they heard directly from grandparents about the specific challenges they face when raising a grandchild. Frequently, grandparents are financially unprepared to care for a grandchild. They often have difficulty accessing school or medical records of their grandchildren. Additionally, grandparent-led households regularly lack adequate and age-appropriate housing. The Grandfamily Housing Act builds on many of the concerns that McGovern and Pressley heard at the roundtable.
Virtual Support Group for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

If you are looking to connect, support, learn and listen, and meet other grandparents raising grandchildren, please consider joining our virtual support groups. The Commission on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren hosts 4 virtual support groups each month. Meetings are two Monday evenings/month and two Tuesday mornings/month. Some meetings include guest speakers on a variety of topics such as how trauma impacts children or the importance of self-care.

If you would like to join or would like more information about the groups, please contact Colleen Pritoni at colleen.pritoni@state.ma.us