AARP donates money for safety seats

AARP Donates Child Safety Seats to Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

A $2,500 donation was made to the Cape Girardeau Safe Communities Program by the local American Association for Retired People (AARP) Foundation for use to purchase 54 child safety seats to be given away to grandparents raising grandchildren. Pictured from left are, Lynn Ware Cape Girardeau Safe Communities Program; Ilena Aslin AARP Foundation and Sharee Galnore Cape Girardeau Safe Communities Program. Southeast Missourian

A $2,500 donation from the AARP Foundation of Southeast Missouri was made to the Cape Girardeau Safe Communities Program to purchase 54 child safety seats.

The foundation received the funds from the state foundation because of its involvement with the local Kinship Network of Southeast Missouri. The network offers support through conferences held annually for grandparents raising grandchildren and other relatives who take on that responsibility.

AARP Foundation associate state coordinator Ilena Aslin received a call from the state office in Kansas City, which knew of the Kinship Network's work through Aslin. With money available, the state office asked Aslin for advice on distributing funds.

A need for providing safe car seats was identified by Sharee Galnore of the Cape Girardeau Safe Communities Program, who previously worked with Aslin on a car seat safety program.

In Cape Girardeau County, there are nearly 400 grandparents raising grandchildren, Aslin said.

Statewide, 43,907 grandparents report they are responsible for grandchildren who are living with them.

AARP resources from 2000 census data say that more than 6 million children -- approximately 1 in 12 -- are living in households headed by grandparents or other relatives.

A resource guidebook for grandparents and other caregivers concerning information about laws surrounding guardianship and other legal issues; school district listings and child care and health information is now being compiled as a result of a need identified by the Southeast Missouri Local Kinship Network.

Its next conference will be held in Fredericktown in the fall. For more information, call 334-1100.