Pilot Program Directs Opioid Settlement Funds to Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Because of Opioids

A new pilot program in Alabama is directing opioid settlement funds to grandparents or relative caregivers over age 55 who are raising grandchildren because of opioids, NPR reports.

Almost half of foster care entries in the state list parental substance use as the reason for children entering the system, the article notes.

In January, the Alabama Department of Mental Health appropriated $280,000 for the program. In total, the state has received almost $100 million from legal settlements with opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies. Each family will receive an estimated $1,000 to $2,000. The funds can be used to buy groceries, pay bills, obtain dental care or to enroll children in sports programs. Funds can also be used for school supplies or uniforms.

Advocates say the funds are not enough to cover the expenses of raising a child, but it’s a good first step. Grandparents raising their grandchildren in Alabama do not have access to certain welfare programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

Nevada is another state that plans to use settlement funds to help grandfamilies, according to Keith Lowhorne, the founder of the group Grandparents as Parents.