South Portland Supports Grand-Families 

Since last year, a collaboration of the Southern Maine Agency on Aging (SMAA), Age Friendly South Portland, and Friends of South Portland Library has worked to offer the monthly Grandparents Support Group in South Portland. In this effort, they were joined by Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine (AFFM).

The support group, which meets at the library, provides a safe space for resource families (adoptive, foster, and kinship) to connect with other families, receive emotional and moral support, as well as to hear practical advice on the challenges and joys of being part of a resource family. 

In-person meetings, like this one, are also held in Biddeford and Wilton. Virtual meetings are held state-wide.

The meetings are also known as C.A.R.E.S. meetings (Connection, Advice, Resources, Education, and Support). These groups are most valuable, as the number of children in need of such care have increased significantly in recent years. 

There are over 6,000 grandparents raising grandchildren in Maine!

The meetings are co-facilitated by one of AFFM’s Kinship Navigators, who will have personal experience as a kinship caregiver and expertise on resources for kinship providers, and a Family Caregiver Support Program Specialist from SMAA with expertise on resources for the aging community. 

The Friends of South Portland Library provide the meeting space but, perhaps more importantly, also helps to spread the word. Reaching out to school social workers, doctors, day care providers and home-schooled families has been useful. Handouts help a lot. They also post flyers and have been featured in newspaper articles. Their effort is on-going!