Rep. Marla Brown, a Republican from Lawrence, has introduced bipartisan legislation to aid grandparents raising their grandchildren in Pennsylvania. She is joined by Reps. Steve Mentzer, a Republican from Lancaster, and Maureen Madden, a Democrat from Monroe. This legislation addresses the challenges faced by grandfamilies due to the opioid crisis and economic difficulties.
Brown stated, “Grandparents who step up to raise their grandchildren deserve more than our gratitude. They deserve real support.” She emphasized that the legislation aims to provide crucial assistance to families affected by crises. The bill proposes using funds from the state’s opioid settlement to help these families, focusing on those holding families together during tough times.
In Pennsylvania, over 235,000 grandparents are responsible for caring for their grandchildren. For every child in kinship foster care, there are ten raised by relatives outside of the formal system without adequate financial or social support. Many of these families rely on fixed incomes and depend on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
The proposed bill seeks to allocate funds from the opioid settlement to assist families in crisis through grants provided to local Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs). These grants aim to address urgent personal care needs of children raised by grandparents—a growing concern often unmet according to AAAs.
A survey conducted by the National Library of Medicine revealed that nearly all grandfamilies are impacted by parental substance misuse. In over 70% of cases involving these families, opioids such as prescription painkillers and heroin play a significant role.
House Bill 1528 has been sent to the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee for further consideration.
