'Helping Grandparents to Raise Healthy, Hopeful Grandchildren'

A forum at the Legislative Office Building, Hartford, November 28, 2006

Many Connecticut children live in households headed by grandparents. To assist these grandparents, three agencies—the Connecticut Commission on Children, AARP Connecticut, and Generations United—hosted a conference where a panel of experts offered useful information on issues like subsidized guardianship, child psychology, child health, child development, education, and probate.

Nearly 300 grandparents attended, creating a powerful presence at the Capitol.

The speakers included:

Jaia Peterson Lent, public policy and outreach director of Generations United. She spoke on the importance of "knowing your choices."
Dr. Robert Windom, a physician at the Hill Health Center in New Haven who knows the special developmental needs of children being raised by grandparents.
Carolyn Jackson, grandparents task force leader, AARP Connecticut. Carolyn is a grandparent who successfully navigated the maze of social-service restrictions that often confront grandparents. She benefited from subsidized guardianship, in which the state transfers legal responsibility for a minor child to a grandparent, who is then provided with a monthly subsidy for the care and support of the child.

A panel discussion followed, with the speakers joined by:

Sandy Matlack, program supervisor, Bureau of Adoption and Interstate Compact Services, Department of Children and Families (DCF);
Linda Moriber, senior vice-president, 2-1-1 Infoline; and
Amanda Saunders Brock, public assistance consultant, Department of Social Services (DSS).

grandparents at lunch Afterward, grandparents were invited to lunch in the Old Judiciary Room of the state Capitol, where they had an opportunity to gather everything from gift books for their grandchildren to recipes for healthy meals. Handouts on school readiness, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, the HUSKY health insurance program, and other resources were also available.

To access many of these resources, visit our Grandparents main page.

From left: Dr. Robert Windom, Jaia Peterson Lent, Sandy Matlack, and Amanda Saunders Brock.

Representative Marie Kirkley-Bey of Hartford with Children and Families Commissioner Darlene Dunbar

Senator Edith Prague of Columbia with COC Legislative Director Elizabeth C. Brown

Legislators were among those who attended. From left: Representative Marie Kirkley-Bey of Hartford with Children and Families Commissioner Darlene Dunbar, and Senator Edith Prague of Columbia with COC Legislative Director Elizabeth C. Brown.

From left: Representatives Walter M. Pawelkiewicz of Windham and Deborah Heinrich of Guilford. Right: Judith Meyers, president and CEO of the Children's Fund of Connecticut, hands out children's books with Rachel Levy of the COC.