Salt Lake County:
655 E 4500 S, Ste 200
SLC, UT 84107
801-326-4409
Davis County:
129 S State St, ste 130
Clearfield, UT 84015
801-614-1020
Weber County:
3340 Harrison Blvd, ste 130
Ogden, UT 84403
801-564-6460
Cache County:
95 W 100 S, ste 385
Logan, UT 84321
801-707-0052
Tooele County:
655 E 4500 S, Ste 200
SLC, UT 84107
801-608-1546
All Other Counties:
655 E 4500 S, Ste 200
SLC, UT 84107
801-803-1525
There are 24,000 children in Utah that have a grandparent as primary caregiver. Although the number one reason for this fact is drug use by the child’s parent(s), there are also other issues such as poverty, death of the parent, incarceration and mental illness.
These children come to their relative’s home with a myriad of issues and caregivers face many obstacles in meeting their needs. Many of these children have been neglected and abused in the homes of their parents. Relative caregivers face barriers such as:
- Access to financial resources to meet the needs of children they are caring for
- Medical insurance or Medicaid for the child
- Access to enrollment in school for the child
- Lack of affordable child care
- Lack of emotional support
Relatives as parents need education regarding their new role in the following areas:
- Safety and emotional support
- Caring for abused/neglected children
- How to set boundaries with the child’s parent
- Drug/alcohol education
The children need:
- Safety and emotional support
- Stability
- Mental health treatment
- Appropriate parenting
- Drug and alcohol prevention skills