Relatives Raising Children Focus Group to Identify Issues

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL --- The Aging Services Division of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services is seeking relatives who are raising someone else’s child(ren) to participate in a focus group to help identify issues that are particular to this group of family caregivers.
Participants will be asked to help develop a survey to be used statewide among family members who are actively involved in child rearing. Persons interested in volunteering to participate may contact project coordinator Nadine Beat-Walter, by calling: (405) 521-3027 or via e-mail at Communications@OKDHS.org.

A group meeting is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., Oct. 1, in the Roy Keen Conference Room, OKDHS ASD offices at: 312 NE 28th St., Oklahoma City.

Although grandparents and other relatives have long been involved in child rearing, it was not until the 2000 U.S. Census that an organized attempt was made to identify the scope of this growing phenomenon.

Because Oklahoma has the second highest percentage in the nation of grandparents identifying themselves as having primary custodial responsibility, ASD staff began efforts to quantify the scope of Oklahoma’s needs to better serve this population. Families have identified housing as a primary need.

The information gathered from the focus group will be used to develop a survey of grandfamilies, grandparent headed households and relatives raising children.

The survey results will then be used to develop Oklahoma’s plan for development of housing to serve grandfamilies. Funding for the survey has been provided by the Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Council, Areawide Aging Agency Inc., the Oklahoma Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Sooner Management Consultants Inc. and Fannie Mae Oklahoma Partnership Office.

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