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Sep 14, 2011
Tallahassee Democrat
In 2009, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 6.7 million grandparents acting as caregivers for children under age 18. Ashley Webb, who runs a program for this special demographic at the Tallahassee Senior Center, said that number is only growing. In 2000, one out of every 12 grandparents was acting as a primary caregiver to their grandchildren, she said. In 2010, that number had jumped to one in 10. Webb coordinates the Grandparents as Parents program, which meets monthly and offers support to grandparents in the form of health consultations, referrals to additional community resources and tips on how to be a new parent — again. Dr. Alice Pomidor, a professor in the Department of Geriatrics at Florida State University, emphasized the importance of a support system for grandparents raising a second set of children.