U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has announced proposed legislation to help ease the financial burden of grandparents and other family caregivers who are raising children because of the opioid crisis.

The Grandfamilies Act is based on the success of legislation that was signed into law last year to help grandparents easily find the resources they need when raising grandchildren, Gillibrand’s office said in a press release. It includes help in navigating the school system, planning for their families’ future, addressing mental health issues for themselves and their grandchildren, and building social and support networks. The Grandfamilies Act is cosponsored by several of Gillibrand’s colleagues in the Senate.

"As the opioid epidemic continues to tear apart families all over the country, Congress must do everything it can to help protect the children who have been hurt by this crisis," said Gillibrand, an announced candidate for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president. "I am proud to cosponsor this bill to help support the hardworking grandparents and family caregivers who have taken on the responsibility of raising grandchildren because of the opioid epidemic. This legislation would help families across New York and around the country manage this crisis, and I urge my colleagues to quickly pass it into law."

According to the statement from the senator’s office, the Grandfamilies Act would:

• increase access to Social Security child’s benefits and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families cash assistance program

• incentivize states to create temporary guardianship laws for grandparents who need to step in quickly to help a grandchild

• provide support for housing specifically provided for grandparents raising grandchildren.

The Grandfamilies Act is supported by Generations United, American Academy of Pediatrics, Children’s Defense Fund, LeadingAge, National Council on Aging, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, and Social Security Works, Gillibrand’s office said.

North Country This Week and NorthCountryNow.com have been reporting since 2014 on how the growing opioid and heroin addiction crisis was causing the division of families, with children being forced into foster care.

In April this year we reported that the number of children placed in foster care in St. Lawrence County had jumped by 21 percent since 2017, largely due to the effects of addicted parents being judged incapable of caring for their children, and a larger number of reported child abuse cases. The county put out an appeal for more people to become foster parents. (“Opioid crisis driving up foster care need in St. Lawrence County,” https://www.northcountrynow.com/news/opioid-crisis-driving-foster-care-need-st-lawrence-county-0256480).