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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">June
3, 2010</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>
<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">& just a reminder</font><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>
<p class="MsoBodyText"
style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;"
align="center"><b style=""><span
style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: "Gill Sans Ultra Bold","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"
style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;"
align="center"><b style=""><span
style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: "Gill Sans Ultra Bold","sans-serif";">“Relatives
as Parents Groups – June meetings”<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span
style="font-size: 11pt;">The Hancock County
Children’s Council will celebrate the end of the school year, by
providing our
Relatives As Parents group meetings on Tuesday (EVENING, June 8<sup>th</sup>,
2010 from 5:30-7:30pm and Wednesday (DAYTIME), June 9<sup>th</sup>,
2010 from
10:30am-12:30pm at Downeast Health Services, 52 Christian Ridge Road,
Ellsworth.<span style=""> </span>If you are interested in
participating in either of these FREE mutual support groups, please
call Candy
Eaton at 667-5304 ext. 261.<span style=""> </span>Our groups
will take a summer break and resume in September.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span
style="font-size: 11pt;">Are you one of the
following types of grandparent caregivers?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><font
face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><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></font><!--[endif]--></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><font
face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><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></font><!--[endif]--></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><font
face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><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><o:p></o:p></span></font><!--[endif]--></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><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 href="http://www.mainekids-kin.org">www.mainekids-kin.org</a>
or call 1-866-298-0896.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><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 href="mailto:children@downeasthealth.org">children@downeasthealth.org</a>
or visit our website at <span style="color: black;"><a
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></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><font
face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"> </font><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><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></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><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
href="mailto:children@downeasthealth.org"><i>children@downeasthealth.org</i></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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