For Immediate Release
September 7, 2008
CONTACT: Jennifer Jones 608-261-9330
A Tribute to Wisconsin's Grandparents
This September 7th we celebrate National Grandparent's Day in Wisconsin and across the country. Throughout this day, we should all pause to acknowledge the incredible impact that grandparents have on our own lives and the lives of our children.
As a father of three young children, I know the tremendous influence my children's grandparents have on their lives and the special bond they share. Their contributions are endless and the gratitude we feel for what they bring to our lives is infinite.
I would especially like to take this opportunity to recognize all of the grandparents who have had to once again embrace parenting by assuming the responsibility of raising their grandchildren. Grandparents follow their hearts and take on this role to ensure their grandchildren are provided with the safety and security they need to grow up to be successful adults. They do it because it is the right thing to do.
According to AARP, approximately 4.5 million children nationally are living in households headed by grandparents; in Wisconsin, over 46,000 children are living in grandparent-headed households.
Grandparent caregivers in Wisconsin and across the country give of themselves, often years after having raised their own children and face head on, the challenges that are unique to older adults parenting for the second time--seeking no recognition other than the smile of their grandchild. Every day, grandparent caregivers must find balance between the coexisting needs of their own children, and those of the grandchildren in their care.
The Department of Children and Families works to ensure that all children are safe in their own homes. When that is not possible, we work to assure that they are provided a safe and loving foster or adoptive home. Our first priority is to place the child with a loving relative. Often times, it is grandparents who answer that call.
It is because of their extraordinary role, I want to take the opportunity on this day, National Grandparents Day, to thank each and every grandparent who has offered the gift of themselves, in order to provide a healthy, safe home for the grandchildren in their care.
For more information about the Department of Children and Families and the support and resources available for grandparents, please visit our website at www.dcf.wisconsin.gov.
Reggie Bicha
Secretary
Department of Children and Families
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