The Ohio Federation for Health Equity and Social Justice (OFHESJ) and the Ohio Grand Parent and Kinship Care Coalition (OGKC) have joined together to bring grandparents and other relatives to the Ohio Statehouse to talk about the issues they experience as a result of the opioid epidemic. These grandparents and other relatives have stepped forward to keep their relative children from entering the foster care system. See Flyer!
The number of children living with grandparents and other relatives continues to increase rapidly. National statistics show that 2.24 million children are living with relative caregivers without either parent present, including 1.51 million living with grandparents and 729,000 living with other relatives. Studies have shown that kinship care is the best placement option for children by keeping them out of the child welfare system and achieving permanency and stability in their lives. It is for these reasons that supporting the needs of kinship families is so important. In Ohio, approximately 99,877 grandparents and other relatives are raising 124,000 children.
The Kinship Care Day at the Capitol Grand Rally Event is scheduled for September 26, 2018 10:00am-2:00pm, here in Columbus on the lawn of the Statehouse. We are bringing grandparents and other relatives from Athens, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Mansfield, Portsmouth, Toledo, Warren, Youngstown and other cities throughout the state of Ohio to be in attendance.
The Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities is partnering in this effort by helping to get the word out through our networks.
For information for the Grand Rally call 614-562-0002 or email [email protected]
Ronald R. Browder, President
Ohio Federation for Health Equity and Social Justice
332 Hamilton Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43203
t: 614-620-5436
e: [email protected]