ARTICLES / Children / When
Family Ties Turn into Entanglements... /
Other ArticlesBy Judy Paschalis
The Kinship Navigator Program also facilitates
a monthly educational/support meeting which features
a free light supper and programs for adults, teens,
elementary-aged children and toddlers.
Most professionals who work with children agree
that placing children with family members is a
response by government that serves the families and
the taxpayers well. It is far less costly, in
terms of tax dollars, to have children in “kinship
families” than in foster care; and, most
professionals agree that, in general, the children
will do better when living with members of their own
families. With the help of the Kinship
Navigator Program, many caregivers are able to find
ways to not only take care of the children, but to
take care of themselves also.
Top Ten Reasons It’s Not All Bad With
Children In the House
- You’ve started to laugh out loud again.
- You know you are doing the best you can to
take care of the children in your family.
- Attending the kids’ baseball games is fun
and keeps you young.
- Because the children are living with you,
you know they’re safe and are being kept with
family and not in foster care.
- You’re getting a lot more exercise.
- You’re sleeping a lot better.
- Ice-cream cones are once again an after
dinner treat.
- You know that 56 is the answer to 7 times 8
without having to pause to think.
- You really do love having the kids around.
- Your caregiving may be the single most
important reason that the children will grow up
with positive outlooks and armed with the
ability to lead productive lives.
Judy Paschalis has been
the coordinator of the Kinship Navigator Program,
sponsored by the Area Office on Aging of
Northwestern Ohio in Toledo, since 2001. Previously,
she worked in television journalism and public
relations in Toledo. She believes that being a
great-grandmother and the adoptive mother equips her
well with the knowledge and understanding of the
complexities of kinship families. Judy can be
reached at
jpaschalis@areaofficeonaging.com.
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