Richmond County Daily Journal
Grandparents and relatives who have assumed responsibility of caring for minor children in need can receive a $100 voucher at the Hamlet Senior Center from July 21 till July 30, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
The voucher can only be used towards the purchase of school clothes and school supplies. An application process is required, and those chosen will be contacted by phone. Chosen applicants must present documentation of all birthdates and Social Security cards for themselves and each eligible child when they go to pick up their voucher. The vouchers are provided through a grant from the Family Caregiver Support Program at the Lumber River Council of Government, under the Older Americans Act III-E.
To receive a voucher, the grandparent or an older related caregiver other than the child’s parents must meet certain criteria. The caregiver must be at least 55 years old and be a blood relation of the child or related through marriage or adoption. The caregiver must be caring for the child in their home without the child’s parents living there, and must have assumed full financial responsibility as the child’s primary caregiver.
The child must be between the ages of five and 18, and scheduled to attend school this calendar year.
Caregivers raising severely handicapped children between the ages of three and 22 must be attending an exceptional children’s program.
Grandparents who received a voucher last year will be ineligible to receive a voucher this year.
The responsibility of caring for a minor can fall on any grandparents, from all socio-economic backgrounds. Unexpected losses of parents, incarceration, or abandonment occur, no matter how rich or poor someone is.
“Many grandparents in North Carolina assume the care of their grandchildren when single parents in the military deploy overseas. Some people befall unforeseen tragedies like fatal car accidents or terminal illnesses, and children are often left without anyone else to care for them,” said Anne Oglesby, director of the voucher program.
Oglesby can be reached for further information at 910-272-5080.
Dawn Kurry can be reached at dkurry@yourdailyjournal.com or by calling 997-3111 ext. 15.
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