McGovern Introduces Bill to Help Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Friday, December 13, 2019

GoLocalWorcester News Team

Congressman Jim McGovern

Congressman Jim McGovern and Ayanna Pressley introduced legislation to assists grandparents who are raising their grandchildren.

The bill, The Grandfamily Housing Act, would create a new, nationwide pilot program to provide funding to help grandparents raising their grandchildren access safe, affordable and appropriate housing.

“This is a huge issue that hasn’t gotten nearly enough attention, and we need to change that,” said McGovern.

McGovern added, “Grandparents are stepping up across Massachusetts to help raise their grandchildren, but the bottom line is that the resources that are available to parents just aren’t there for grandparents. I’ve heard from many grandparents that finding age-appropriate affordable housing is a major obstacle, so our bill establishes a new nationwide pilot program to modify and build appropriate housing and fund residential coordinators to help grandparents navigate the complexities of raising a grandchild. Every child in our country deserves to grow up in a safe, loving environment that allows them to live up to their full potential, and that’s what our bill is all about.”

The Legislation

Last week, McGovern and Pressley held a roundtable in Worcester 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.

McGovern’s bill builds on many of the concerns they heard at the roundtable.