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<small><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">August
25, 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>
...........................................................................................<b><font
face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">a pdf poster is available upon
request</font></b><br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">CONTACT:<span
style=""> </span></span><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>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></small>
<p class="MsoBodyText"
style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;"
align="center"><b style=""><span
style="font-size: 4pt; font-family: "Tempus Sans ITC";"><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: "Arial Black","sans-serif";">“Relatives
as
Parents Monthly Meetings Resume”<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span
style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></font> <font
face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The
Hancock County Children’s
Council, a program of Downeast Health Services, is pleased to announce
that our
monthly Relatives As Parents group meetings will resume on the second
Tuesday
of each month, beginning <u>September 14<sup>th</sup> from
1:30pm-3:00pm</u>.<span style=""> </span>If you are interested in
participating in these
FREE mutual support groups, please call Candy Eaton at 667-5304 ext.
261.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></font><br>
</p>
<p><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span
style="font-size: 11pt;">Each month, we will provide
participants with an opportunity to discuss and learn from each other
about a
specific topic specific to “Parenting the Second Time Around”.<span
style=""> </span>Topics scheduled are:<o:p></o:p></span></font>
</p>
<!--[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;">September 14<sup>th</sup>:<span
style=""> </span>“It Wasn’t Supposed to be Like This”<o:p></o:p></span></font>
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<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;">October 12<sup>th</sup>:<span
style=""> </span>“Getting to Know You”<o:p></o:p></span></font>
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<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;">November 9<sup>th</sup>:<span
style=""> </span>“Rebuilding a Family”<o:p></o:p></span></font>
<!--[endif]--><!--[if !supportLists]--><br>
<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;">December 14<sup>th</sup>:<span
style=""> </span>“Discipline is Not a Dirty Word, But It May
Look Different Today”<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font><!--[endif]-->
<p><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">There
is not a single ‘typical’ grandparent-headed household. Across
the United States:<o:p></o:p></span></font>
</p>
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<p><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: rgb(0, 169, 159);"><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; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">One
out of every 12 children (more than 6 million children
nationwide) lives in a household headed by a relative other than their
parent.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></font>
</p>
<!--[endif]--><!--[if !supportLists]-->
<p><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: rgb(0, 169, 159);"><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; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">More
than one-third of grandparents raising grandchildren live in
households without either of the children’s parents present. <span
style=""> </span>2.4 million grandparents report being
responsible for their grandchildren living with them.<o:p></o:p></span></font>
</p>
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<p><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: rgb(0, 169, 159);"><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; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">Seventy-one
percent of grandparents raising grandchildren are
under the age of 60, while only 29% are age 60 or older.<span style="">
</span>Grandparent-headed households are the fastest
growing type of family in the U.S.<o:p></o:p></span></font>
</p>
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<p><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: rgb(0, 169, 159);"><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; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">Most
of the grandparents raising grandchildren (62.5%) are married
couples, including couples that are separated, but 37.5% of the
grandparents
are unmarried, widowed, or divorced. <o:p></o:p></span></font>
</p>
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<p><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: rgb(0, 169, 159);"><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; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">People
of all different races report being responsible for
grandchildren.<span style=""> </span>Nearly 40% of these
families live at or below the poverty line, even though close to half
have at
least one caregiver who is employed. <o:p></o:p></span></font>
</p>
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<div align="justify"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">Even
though each story is unique, most of the children living with
relative caregivers share a common experience of sadness or confusion
about
losing their birth parent, whether it is due to substance abuse,
physical or
mental illness, or other circumstances. It may be a temporary or
permanent
loss, or as often happens, an unpredictable one as a birth parent moves
in and
out of the child’s life. Because of this, some children wonder if their
parents
love them and why they are not there for them. Many children know the
fear and
instability of not being sure if someone will take care of them or if
they will
be safe.<o:p></o:p></span></font><br>
<br>
<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></div>
<div align="justify"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;">Despite
the relatively high number of “grandfamilies”, many of the caregivers
do not
know others who are in similar situations. This can lead to feelings of
isolation, which can be magnified for families who are already living
in
sparsely-populated rural areas. <span style=""> </span>These
difficult life experiences faced by “grandfamilies” are countered by
the joy of
being part of the child’s life, the relief of knowing the child is
safe, and
the satisfaction of seeing the child thrive as his or her life becomes
more
stable. <o:p></o:p></span></font><br>
<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></div>
<p align="justify"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><span
style="font-size: 11pt;">Downeast Health Services
Inc., seeks to support the many families who have recently undertaken
the
unexpected responsibility of caring for a relative’s child. <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></span><span
style="font-size: 11pt;">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, support groups and family
resources available in Hancock County.<span style=""> </span><span
style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">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.</span></font><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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