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<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">November
30, 2009</span><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">; FOR
IMMEDIATE
RELEASE</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">CONTACT:<span
style=""> </span>Candy Eaton, Program Director<o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<b style=""><span
style="font-size: 4pt; font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC";"><o:p> </o:p></span></b>
<br>
</font>
<div align="center"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><b
style=""><span
style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: "Gill Sans Ultra Bold","sans-serif";">“Relatives
as Parents SUPPORT Group”<o:p></o:p></span></b>
</font><br>
</div>
<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">The Hancock County
Children’s Council wants to remind you that the next meeting of our
Relatives
As Parents Support Group will be held on Tuesday, December 8<sup>th</sup>,
2009, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. If you are a </span><span
style="font-size: 11pt;">grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling, cousin or
good
friend of the family caring for a relative’s child or working toward
that goal,
y</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">ou are invited to join our
“Relatives as
Parents” facilitated support group conveniently located in Ellsworth at
the
Downeast Health Services office, 52 Christian Ridge Road on the second
Tuesday
of each month.<span style=""> </span>If you are interested in
participating in this FREE mutual support group, contact Candy Eaton at
667-5304 ext. 261.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Are you one of the
following types of grandparent caregivers?<o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">·<span
style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Custodial
grandparents have legal custody of their grandchildren; they provide
daily care
and decision-making tasks.<span style=""> </span>The focus on
this type of care-giving is on the grandchild and providing them with a
sense
of security.<o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">·<span
style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“Living with”
grandparents provide daily care for their grandchildren, but do not
have legal
custody.<span style=""> </span>The child’s parent may or may
not live in the home.<span style=""> </span>These grandparents
focus on providing an economically and emotionally stable environment
for the
child, and often on helping the parent.<span style="">
</span>Because the grandparent does not possess legal custody, he or
she has no
way of protecting the child from an unsuitable or dangerous parent.<o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Symbol;"><span style="">·<span
style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“Day care”
grandparents focus on helping the child’s parent and on fulfilling
their own needs.<span style=""> </span>These grandparents tend to be
the least
affected by their caretaking role because the children return home at
the end
of the day.<span style=""> </span>They function closest to the
societal definition of “grandparent”.<a moz-do-not-send="true" style=""
href="#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span
class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span
class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">The Hancock County
Children’s Council, a program of Downeast Health Services Inc., in
partnership
with <i style="">Maine Kids-Kin, </i>seeks to support
families who are raising their relatives’ children in Hancock County.<span
style=""> </span>Many families have recently undertaken the
unexpected responsibility of caring for a relative’s child. <span
style=""> </span>In Maine, over 11,000 children with their
grandparents, aunts, uncles, or with another relative who are not their
parents. Even so, many relatives feel they are in this alone.<span
style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">These
relatives’ lives are complicated, yet they
are experienced parents and bring history and past lessons to a new
relationship with their relatives’ children.<span style="">
</span>Throughout Hancock County, there are others who share many
similar
experiences and feelings.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>To
learn more about Maine Kids-Kin and its
services, visit <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.mainekids-kin.org">www.mainekids-kin.org</a>
or call 1-866-298-0896.<o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">The Hancock County
Children’s Council collaborates with many local partners to strengthen
Maine’s
families.<span style=""> </span>Please call 667-5304 ext. 261,
email <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:children@downeasthealth.org">children@downeasthealth.org</a>
or visit our website at <span style="color: black;"><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://www.downeasthealth.org">www.downeasthealth.org</a>
</span>for
additional information on parenting classes, child development and
family
resources available in Hancock County.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: blue;">Candy
Eaton, Program Director<br>
Hancock County Children's Council, a program of Downeast Health
Services Inc.<br>
<st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on">52 Christian Ridge Road</st1:Street>,
<st1:City w:st="on">Ellsworth</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">ME</st1:State>
<st1:PostalCode w:st="on">04605</st1:PostalCode></st1:address><o:p></o:p></span></i>
<br>
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: blue;">207-667-5304,
ext. 261; </span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:children@downeasthealth.org"><i>children@downeasthealth.org</i></a><o:p></o:p></span></font><!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]--><!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]-->
<div style=""><!--[if !supportEndnotes]--><font
face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><br clear="all">
</font>
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"><!--[endif]-->
<div style="" id="edn1"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><a
moz-do-not-send="true" style="" href="#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span
class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span
class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><i
style=""><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Family
Issues</span></i></font><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><font
face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">, University of
Maine Cooperative Extension, Volume 8, No. 2, 1999 (Kleiner, H.S.,
Hertzog, J.,
& Targ, D.B. (1998). Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: A Resource
Guide
for Professionals.<span style=""> </span>ParentLink,
University Outreach and Extension, University of<span style=""> </span>Missouri-Columbia).</font><o:p></o:p></span>
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