Pa. helps grandparents raise kids with free hotline

Pennsylvania launched the first statewide hotline for legal resources for grandparents tasked with raising their grandchildren.

On Wednesday, the Department of Aging announced that the PA Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Legal Line — which is free to use and offers a variety of resources to help with custody proceedings, preparation for court and caregiver support groups — has expanded from Philadelphia to all 67 counties in the commonwealth.

“A growing number of grandparents in Pennsylvania are becoming a parent for the second time as they make the selfless choice to raise their grandchildren,” said Jason Kavulich, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging in a press release.

There are approximately 83,000 grandparents and other kinship caregivers who are providing care to nearly 260,000 children, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Aging.

The PA Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Legal Line is part of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 10-year strategic plan to improve the infrastructure of aging services called Aging Our Way. It prioritizes several goals: designing and offering affordable options and opportunities for all older adults; eliminating barriers so older adults can age in their own homes while being comfortable living in familiar surroundings; promoting safe, accessible and convenient transportation regardless of personal mobility; and building supports and resources so people who take care of others have help, training and rest.

To help expand the legal services, the Department of Aging provided a grant of $125,000.

The hotline is staffed by attorneys from the SeniorLAW Center, a Philadelphia nonprofit that supports the rights and interests of older Pennsylvanians.

Karen Buck, executive director of the SeniorLAW Center, said many of these grandparents are taking care of children whose lives have been uprooted by events such as addiction, deployment, neglect and abuse.

“There is no civil right to counsel for these grandparents,” Buck said. “The only way you get a sense of permanency for a child is custody … there’s a lot of emotions and dynamics.”

Seniors can call 877-727-7529 to receive free legal advice on custody and dependency, guidance on representing themselves in family court, help preparing documents and information on kinship care.

Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Debra Todd said in a statement that the hotline is a step toward protecting older adults statewide.

“Older Pennsylvanians are often among our most vulnerable citizens, and it is our responsibility to ensure they have access to justice and protections against abuse, neglect and financial exploitation,” she said.