Town Hall To Focus On How Opioid Crisis Affects Grandparents
LOWELL, Mass. (AP) — The spike in opioid addiction and overdose deaths in Massachusetts has led to a jump in the number of grandparents stepping up to care for their grandchildren.
On Tuesday, Attorney General Maura Healey's office is teaming up with the Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren for a town hall in Lowell at Middlesex Community College.
Between 2010 and 2015, the number of children being cared for by relatives in Massachusetts has increased by more than 50 percent.
The 6 p.m. meeting will give grandparents and other family members caring for children a chance to talk about how the opioid crises has changed their lives and what kind of support they need.
Officials from Healey's office and the commission will also provide resources for treatment and family support services.