Historical Timeline
Brief history of the
Gateway Grandparents/Kinship Network
St. Louis Metropolitan Area
2007 |
2006 |
2005 | 2004 |
2003 |
2002 | 2000
2000
- Gateway Grandparents
Network organized in St. Louis. More than 75 individuals and
agencies help establish
the collaborative effort. Coordinator: Elizabeth Reinsch, human development
specialist, University of Missouri Extension, St. Louis County.
- Networking among St. Louis service providers
begins. Initial formation of Gateway Grandparents
Network facilitates communication among founding
agencies and organizations providing services to
grandparents.
2002
- 1st
Grandparents
Acting As Parents (GAAP) Fair held. After more than two years
of planning, Gateway Grandparents Network sponsors first GAAP Fair October 12, 2002, at
University of Missouri-St. Louis. Some 250 grandparents,
relatives and professionals attend.
- Regional resource guide developed.
Grandparents
Acting As Parents (GAAP) Resource & Information Guide
is developed and distributed at GAAP Fair. This 40-page
resource contains contact information for services in
education, financial, legal, parenting, health,
transportation and more in St. Louis, Franklin, Jefferson and St.
Charles counties and City of St. Louis.
- St. Louis area Warm-Line established.
The
Relatives
As Parents/Grandparents Information Warm-Line
provides information and referral services to
support grandparents and relatives raising kin children
in the St. Louis Metro area. Cardinal Ritter Institute
of St. Louis and Legal Services of Eastern
Missouri--agency members of the Gateway Grandparents
Network--operate the Warm-Line through a local
grant from the
Brookdale
Foundation.
- Missouri Grandparents/Kinship Caregiver Coalition
established. A state coalition is formed in
cooperation with AARP.
2003
- 2nd
Grandparents
Acting As Parents (GAAP) Fair held. More than 200
grandparents, relatives, and professionals learn about
resources and network with other grandparents and
professionals on September 6,
2003, at University of Missouri-St. Louis.
- Funding received to establish support groups and
train staff. University of Missouri Extension
receives a 2-year, $10,000 statewide
Relatives
as Parents Program (RAPP) grant from the Brookdale
Foundation to improve Extension's capacity to meet
educational needs of grandparents/relatives as
caregivers. The grant supports development of local
grandparent/relatives support groups across Missouri. It
also provides funding support to further efforts of the
statewide coalition of state agencies and other
organizations to meet needs of grandparents/relatives as
parents.
2004
- Ten mini-educational sessions held in East
Central Missouri from September 2003 to June 2004.
Information and resources are provided to groups in
Jefferson, Franklin, St. Charles and St. Louis counties,
as well as St. Louis City.
-
Kincare Connections newsletter created.
The print newsletter is mailed to a growing list of grandparents,
relatives and professionals to enhance communications.
- Task forces formed in Franklin, Jefferson and St.
Charles counties. Community organizations
begin networking to identify needs and service providers
and educational meetings are held. Support groups begin
to form.
- In Missouri, 12 new taskforces are formed
by Fall 2004. Several use Parenting the Second Time
Around curriculum (of Cornell Cooperative Extension,
NY).
2005
- Intergenerational "Sock-It-To-Me Saturday" event
held in June. More than 120 adults and children from
East Central Missouri enjoy a free day of fun and
parenting resources in Clayton Shaw Park in St. Louis
County. The event is made possible by grants and
donations from partnering agencies.
- Grandparents and relative caregivers access
information through multiple resources.
2006
- Intergenerational "Growing Together" event held
in July draws more than 50 adults and children.
Adults learn about legal issues and social services
while kids do crafts and other fun activities.
Afterward, the grandfamilies enjoy a free day together
at the Saint Louis Science Center.
- State
Warmline operated by
ParentLink begins offering help and resources to
grandfamilies in Missouri. In partnership with AARP
Missouri, this resource
is an extension of parenting resources and support
ParentLink offers to parents and professionals.
- Parenting
questions: 1-800-552-8522
- En Español:
1-888-460-0008
2007
- Gateway Grandparents/Kinship Network receives
two-year, $10,000 regional grant from Brookdale
Foundation Group in June. The grant is to help
organizations in five counties (St. Louis, Franklin,
Jefferson and St. Charles counties and St. Louis City)
create new support groups for Relatives as Parents and
to increase awareness of issues faced by grandparents
raising grandchildren and other relative caregivers of
children. A total of six support groups are meeting
monthly in the St. Louis metro area at this time.
- Grandparents/Relative Caregiver Picnic in
September provides food and fun for 75 adults and
children at Tilles Park in St. Louis City.
- One-day workshop in November attracts 40
representatives of organizations wanting to learn more
about the relative caregiver issue. As part of the
Brookdale Foundation Group grant, the workshop addresses
issues and concerns of relative caregivers and discusses
ways to establish support groups. Organizations are
invited to submit proposals by December 15 to receive
seed money to help establish support groups.
2008
- Sept. 6, 2008 – Annual Grandfamily Picnic was held at
Tower Grove Park. Over 140 participants enjoyed a free fun
day.
- Eleven local community groups receive start-up grants to
form Relative acting as Parents support groups. These small
grants were offered due to the Brookdale Foundation grant to GG/KN
to increase RAP support groups in the St. Louis Metro area.
2009
- Provide technical assistance and other services to the 11
new support groups to help them reach their goals.
- Aug, 26, 2009 Sponsored an Energy Conservation
presentation for RAP’s. The Children’s Home Society of
Missouri presented the “Parenting the Second Time Around” to
their staff with the hope of establishing new support groups in
the area.
- Sept. 19, 2009 Annual GG/KN summer picnic, Shaw Park,
Clayton, Mo. Over 130 participants attended.
2010
- Sept. 11, 2010 the annual summer picnic was held at the
Shaw Park, in Clayton, Mo. 140 participants attended this
event.
- Received a grant from the University of Missouri
Community Partnership to hold a National Conference on Kinship
Care for next year. Dr. Joseph Crumbley has been identified
as the conference speaker. The 2011 St. Louis Regional Kinship
Conference will be held at the J.C. Penny building on University
of Mo. St. Louis campus April 15, 2011.
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