skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI' Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong, lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Teamsters choose not endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least seventeen states.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Family Ties Shift in Wyoming as Kinship Care Grows

play audio
Play

Wednesday, May 23, 2012   

CASPER, Wyo. - For more than 4,000 children in Wyoming, grandma, grandpa or an aunt is playing the role of "parent." And a report released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows it's a growing trend.

Wyoming Kids Count Director Marc Homer says keeping children's ties to extended family is important when they endure the stress of a separation from their parents.

"They're more successful in school, there's less absenteeism, and in the long term, fewer behavioral and psychiatric problems."

Children end up being cared for by relatives or close family friends because of military deployments, parental death, incarceration, substance abuse or mental illness, or child abuse and neglect. The report points out that many caregivers don't know there are resources available to help them cover the unexpected costs of taking in those children, such as SNAP, Medicaid, child care and TANF cash assistance.

Homer says most kinship caregivers in Wyoming are grandparents, and they face unique challenges in caring for children again. He finds that state policies are often difficult when care-giving needs to become permanent.

"Unfortunately, the path to permanent guardianship, or even adoption, is rather difficult. There's a lot of roadblocks and some of their rights are not really protected."

Nationwide, the report says the number of children in kinship care has risen 18 percent in the past decade.

The report,"Stepping Up for Kids: What Government and Communities Should Do to Support Kinship Families," is at
www.AECF.org.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Social Issues

play sound

California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a …


The California Department of Conservation is holding a public meeting online on Sept. 24, to update the public on its progress in plugging abandoned oil wells. (Alizada Studios/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…

Social Issues

play sound

This week, National Voter Registration Day was another timely reminder for Ohioans preparing for the 2024 general election. The latest reports from …

The American Heart Association said caregivers often experience personal and spiritual growth, discovering their own resilience, competence and capacity for sacrifice as they help a friend or loved one. (Justlight/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Self-Care Awareness Month and the American Heart Association in Missouri is urging caregivers to take some much-needed time for themselve…

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021