Council Panel Considers Funds for Grandparent Caregivers

By DESIREE JACKSON

 A City Council committee held an oversight hearing on Tuesday to consider allocating more money for local caregivers, including a growing number of grandparent acting as caregivers.

The Committee on Aging, led by Queen Democrat Margaret Chin, listened to testimony by various community groups and advocates including the Department for the Aging, who pushed for more funds to be placed into organizations that catered to caregivers.

Caregivers ranging from 18 to 55 years of age, voluntarily caring for family members or other individuals reduce public spending for long-term care  by an estimated $25 billion in New York, officials said.

The agency, which established the Grandparent Resource Center in 1994, supporting older adults who are the primary caretakers for their grandchildren, were allocated $4million for caregiver services in the DFTA  2015 budget.

The council also distributed $649,250 in additional funding to organizations that provided services to caregivers.

 

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