Arizona Grandparents Step Up as Caregivers, Supported by Phoenix Non-Profit Duet

In Arizona, the number of grandparents stepping in to raise their grandchildren is climbing, a result of various societal issues including substance abuse, incarceration, and mental health struggles. The non-profit organization Duet, based in Phoenix, offers a lifeline to over 64,000 grandfamily caregivers across the state, as reported by ABC15. Patricia Dominguez, the Director of Kinship Care Services at Duet, told ABC15, "Because of these challenges, grandparents just feel alone. They feel overwhelmed. A lot of them are heartbroken because you know, their adult child has gone wayward and every family, every parent wants their child to be responsible."

Organizations have not always been equipped to handle the specialized needs of these grandfamilies. The Arizona Kinship Care Coalition has made strides in connecting services and grandparents. As CALS Arizona notes, a grandparent in Flagstaff expressed gratitude: "I don't know what I would have done without the support from KKONA. Having just moved to Flagstaff with my five-year-old grandson, I had no one to turn to and felt alone and intimidated by the school system."

Support programs like Duet provide grandfamilies with valuable resources, ranging from legal navigation assistance to educational workshops. Sophia Sabetta, a grandmother raising her autistic grandson, has found solace and support through Duet. She recounts their journey to ABC15, saying, "Duet is that piece that brought it together for us and has helped us on so many levels."

Amplifying these efforts, the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Southern Arizona Coalition (GRGSoAZ), with support from organizations like the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension and other local agencies, has been a force in enriching support networks and resources since 1999. The coalition has expanded its reach with the development of resource notebooks, annual conferences, and the Kinship, Adoption, Resource, Education (K.A.R.E.) Family Center. A Tucson grandparent relayed to CALS Arizona, "The KARE Center was there for us when we didn't know what to do."

This commitment to support has had a clear impact: the number of support groups for grandparent caregivers in Arizona has mushroomed from a mere one in early 2000 to 28 by 2003. These groups provide not just emotional support, but practical advice and assistance that can make all the difference for a grandfamily navigating unexpected challenges.