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Council Member Crystal Hudson's opening remarks on older adult kinship caregiving resources and Introduction 1184
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ยท
4 min
Council Member Crystal Hudson, chair of the Committee on Aging, delivers opening remarks for a hearing on older adult kinship caregiving resources and Introduction 1184. She provides context on the prevalence of kinship care, discusses the closure of the Grandparent Resource Center, and introduces the proposed legislation to establish a kinship care program within NYC Aging.
- Highlights the importance of kinship care and its positive impact on children's outcomes
- Addresses challenges faced by older adult kinship caregivers, including financial, legal, and social issues
- Explains the purpose of Introduction 1184 and its potential to support kinship caregivers through case assistance, workshops, and information dissemination
Crystal Hudson
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Thank you so much and good afternoon everyone.
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I'm council member Crystal Hudson, chair of the Committee on aging.
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My pronouns are sheher, and I'd like to welcome you all to today's oversight hearing on older adult kinship caregiving resources and introduction number eleven eighty four, which would establish a program to support older adults providing kinship care within the department for the Aging or NYC Aging.
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We are joined here by council members, Salam and Shulman.
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Across The United States, One In Eleven children will live in kinship care at some point during childhood, a figure that rises to one in five for black children.
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In New York State, there are an estimated 179,000 kinship caregivers, one hundred and 30 one thousand of whom are older adults.
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As of mid twenty twenty four, more than 7,700 New York City children were placed in foster care with over 3,100 living in the home of an approved relative.
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These caregivers, the majority of whom are older adults, step into a crucial role often due to circumstances such as parental death, abuse, incarceration, or mental health issues.
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According to NYC Aging, many older adult caregivers in NYC provide at least thirty hours of care each week and may not work and may work additional jobs to provide for non biological children in kinship care.
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Studies consistently show that children in kinship care experience better behavioral and mental health outcomes than those placed in foster care with nonrelatives.
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They benefit from maintaining familial relationships, preserving their cultural identity, and having a stronger bridge into adulthood, all of which can result in significantly better life outcomes.
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And for older adults, raising grandchildren or other young relatives can bring feelings of satisfaction, pride, and significance.
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Yet for the older adults who do step up to provide this care, often unexpectedly, there can be significant financial, legal, and social challenges.
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Many live on fixed incomes, must navigate complex guardianship or custody processes, and often juggle health care needs of their own while caring for a child.
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While NYC Aging's Grandparent Resource Center or GRC once offered a centralized source of support for these caregivers, its closure has left older adults struggling to find the same level of specialized assistance at the local level.
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The GRC services including workshops, case management, and referrals, were vital for navigating the complex legal and financial landscape of kinship care.
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Now these services are decentralized and spread across multiple agencies and community based organizations, which has led to confusion and fragmentation for caregivers who once relied on GRC staff expertise.
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Both my office and the committee have heard from caregivers and advocates that this shift has led to continued gaps in both services and support, particularly in terms of outreach and communication with those most in need.
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As we convene today, we will examine whether older adult kinship caregivers are truly being served under this decentralized model and how best to fill any gaps that may exist.
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We will also discuss intro number eleven eighty four, sponsored by myself, which would require NYC Aging to create a kinship care program that would support older adults who provide full time care for someone who is not their biological child.
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At a minimum, the program would provide case assistance and workshops on issues related to kinship caregiving, and it would require NYC Aging to provide written materials about the kinship care program to older adult centers and to provide in person information sessions at OACs.
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This hearing is an opportunity to gather insight, share lived experiences, and consider actionable steps to strengthen the city's support for older kinship caregivers and the children they are raising.
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We should do all we can to support kinship families.
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By supporting them, we are building happier, healthier, and more cohesive communities.
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Thank you to the representatives from the administration who will be testifying today.
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I also wanna thank my colleagues on the committee on aging as well as council members Lee, who's also joined us.
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I would also like to thank my staff, Andrew Wright, and aging committee staff, Christopher Pepe, Chloe Rivera, and Samuel Hamid.
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I'll now turn it over to the committee counsel to administer the oath to the administration.