Marsha Padilla-goad

With the increase in opioid use in pockets across the U.S., more grandparents and other relatives are raising children whose parents have died, are incarcerated, are using drugs or are in treatment. These caregivers often step into their role unexpectedly. They may be living on fixed incomes and unaware of where to turn for support and services for the children. Research shows that with support, children thrive in the care of relatives and have better outcomes than those in foster care with non-relatives.