We are united in our efforts to effect legislative changes that will provde more extensive benefits for grandparents raising grandchildren in Texas. According to the 2000 census, there are over 500,000 of us. The purpose of this group is to disseminate information and and encourage all Texas grandparents who are raising grandchildren to join together and voice their concerns, offer advice and be supportive of one another.

As grandparents, we have unique problems and concerns. Our health is often not great, our financial resources are probably limited, and we wonder if we can do this very important job of raising children at this time of our life. In addition, we may have parents to care for and/or children of our own still at home. Many of our grandchildren have special needs ranging from physical disabilities to emotional problems to learning disabilities to mental and/or developmental delays. We need more help than we are getting.

We save the State of Texas millions of dollars every month by keeping these children out of foster care. Yet, foster children receive college tuition assistance, clothing vouchers, housing, food, transportation, and access to specialized medical care that our children often do not receive.

TANF in Texas pays $74 per month plus Medicaid. Texas is second only to the New York in the number of grandparents raising grandchildren, yet ranks close to the bottom in benefits it provides - for all recipients. The little state of Delaware with only two counties pays more per month than Texas, the second largest state in the nation.

It is time that grandparents raising grandchildren are recognized as a group apart from other recipients of benefits. We are not seeking to defraud the welfare system. We are only seeking assistance to raise these precious children to become productive, responsible members of society.