Date post: | 29-Nov-2014 |
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Education |
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GrandFamily Resource Centers
A partnership sponsored by the SC State Library
GrandFamily Resource Centers
New LSTA Project to Create 5 Resource Centers in SC
•Who: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren•What: Permanent Resource Collections & Program Support•Where: Public Libraries in 5 different counties who apply & meet criteria•Why: Identified need in the state
The Statistics
• 2.2 million children in the U.S. live in Grandparent headed households
• Nearly 100,000 children living in Grandparent-headed households (9.0% of all SC children)
• 55% of these grandparents are African American; 1% are Hispanic/Latino; and 42% are White.
• 72% are under the age of 60• 24% live in poverty
Project Overview
GrandFamily Resource Collections
■ creates one location where services for grandparents raising their grandchildren are housed—library offers friendly, open environment
■ Focuses on grandparents because the generation gap between grandparents and grandchildren is most significant
■ Provides a collection of information, professional librarians to help seek other information, support groups and related programs
South Carolina State Library can assist public libraries in reaching out to identified underserved populations in order to go beyond the boundaries of traditional services
GrandFamily Resource Centers
Each Center includes:
• Permanent Resource Collection• Grandparents Chair
(“Grandparents Always Welcome at the Library”)
• GrandFamily Support Group—uses a national curriculum
• Staff Support & Community Partnership opportunities
Community Centered Libraries
Some programs already going on in South Carolina.
Centers are designed to work in partnership with local communities & bring library services into the fold of those who are helping to serve this population.
Impact
• Created through Dallas County KinCare Network and first collections located at Dallas Public Library
• Received local and national media attention• Garnered grant support and partnerships• Ongoing media coverage from local to national• Have received numerous requests for
information about building library partnerships to serve this constituency
• SCSL can provide a statewide model for replication
It Takes A Village
“Once the basic needs of these children are met, schools and public
libraries have an opportunity to support grandparents in the formal and information education of the
children in their care.”
Jan Watkins from Children and Libraries (2006)