Grandparents and Other Older Relatives Raising Children Invited to New Caregiving Series

Washington, Multnomah and Clackamas counties are partnering to host a new learning series for grandparents and older relatives raising children. This free three-part series will provide a safe and welcoming space for caregivers to connect with each other, learn new skills and get access to community resources.

“Older relatives who take on the challenging role of raising their grandchildren, nieces, nephews and others may feel unprepared for some of the difficult issues that can arise,” Washington County Program Coordinator Shannon Baggerman said. “This new series provides education, resources and respite that we hope will make this tough job a little bit easier.”

Three 90-minute sessions will take place via Zoom in April, May and June.

“That's a RAPP! Resource Fair” will take place on Saturday, April 2, 2022, 10-11:30 a.m. RAPP stands for Relatives as Parents Program. During this virtual resource fair, participants can connect face to face with people who can support them and learn about community resources that can help. Presenters include Department of Human Services, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Kinship Navigator Program, Help Me Grow and FACT. Presented by Family Caregiver Support Program and community partners.

“Let's be Honest -- Family Conversations about Sexuality” will take place on Saturday, May 7, 2022, 10-11:30 a.m. This workshop will focus on helping caregivers strengthen their skills in being "askable" adults and supporting young people in conversations related to sexuality. The goal is to help participants recognize the important role they can play in helping the young person in their care navigate varied and sometimes conflicting messages. Presented by Olivia Jarratt and Austin Lea, Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette.

“Managing Relational Stress and Building Resiliency” will take place on Saturday, June 11, 2022, 10-11:30 a.m. Participants will learn about relational stress and begin to normalize this in the context of all families. They will learn to identify the signs and symptoms of stress, compassion fatigue and burnout and how these manifest in partnerships and family systems. This workshop also covers "value clashes" they may experience when managing challenging behaviors and their emotional response to this clash. And finally, participants will learn practical ways to build resiliency. Presented by Eileen Devine, LCSW, Brain First Parenting.

Participants may register for one, two or all sessions. Registration is open at https://bit.ly/RAPP-2022. For more information, call Washington County Disability, Aging and Veteran Services Program Coordinator Shannon Baggerman at 503-846-3090.