The Pew Charitable Trusts found that in 2015, “2.9 million children…were living with grandparents who were responsible for their care.” That is a lot of kids living with family members who are not their parents. What does this statistic mean for grandparents in Ohio?
First, it is important to know why more little ones are growing up in their grandparents’ homes. One of the main reasons, Pew discovered, is drugs. Addicted parents often neglect their children if they do not abandon them altogether, and with 2.4 million people labeled “opioid addicts” in recent years, the deepening trend of grandmothers and grandfathers taking up the slack in childrearing is not so surprising.
The Public Children Services Association of Ohio explains that grandparents are some of the best resources for kids whose parents are struggling with addictions. Placing the children in homes of those they already have a relationship with can lessen the trauma of removal from the home they have always known.
When grandparents find themselves in the position of needing to make decisions for the youngest members of their families, then, they may need a power of attorney to take care of all the children’s necessities. The Ohio State Bar Association provides guidance for families in this situation.
Some of the basic provisions offered by a power of attorney include the following:
- The right to give consent for health care
- The right to enroll children in school
- The right to receive information related to school
The power of attorney does not grant custody of the grandkids to the grandparents.
