Relatives as Parents Program

Our Mission

Relatives As Parents Program (RAPP) is an ongoing education and support program for grandparents and other non-parent relatives who are providing primary care for relative children. Monthly support groups, educational resources, youth programs and other support services are available.

Relatives As Parents Program (RAPP)

The Relatives As Parents Program (RAPP) was designed to encourage and promote the creation of services for grandparents and other relatives who have taken on the responsibility of surrogate parenting due to the absence of the biological parents. There are numerous reasons why grandparents and other relative caregivers are being called upon to rear children. But generally, they have one common thread: they are stepping in due to a family crisis. Grandparents report that they are rearing their grandchildren for many reasons, such as:

• teen pregnancy
• an adult parent’s substance abuse
• financial problems
• incarceration
• death
• homelessness
• deployment

RAPP staff provides accessible support groups and other supportive services such as educational workshops, Intergenerational Activities, Respite Events and a youth program to relative caregivers and the children in their care. 

Coffee and Conversation

RAPP provides accessible support groups and other supportive services to relative caregivers and the children in their care.  The RAPP focuses on the needs of a growing number of families with youth being parented by kinship caregivers, many of which are grandparents.  The primary goal of the mutual support groups or “Coffee and Conversation” is to help the participants find an environment that provides comfort and safety for the expression of their successes and challenges as caregivers of relative children. The secondary goal is to assist caregivers to learn from and help each other (i.e. peer mentoring, informal care giving among families, etc.).

The outcomes of the support groups are to assist kinship caregivers to access services in the community to address financial, mental health, and legal issues; improve family relationships through access to educational resources and trainings; and for kinship caregivers to find comfort in expressing their successes and challenges in a safe and supportive environment.  Twice a year the support groups will join together for special events: the winter holiday party and summer picnic.  The purpose of these events is to provide encouragement and fun for kinship care families.

Coffee and Conversation meets:

• the second Tuesday of month at St. Paul’s Church in Poughkeepsie
• the third Thursday of every month at St. Mary’s Church in Fishkill
• the first Wednesday of every month at South Amenia Presbyterian Church in Amenia

Intergenerational Activities

Intergenerational activities bring together individuals of different ages as partners to explore, study, and work towards a shared goal. These activities foster cooperation and promote interaction among generations including youth and older adults.  Some examples of previous RAPP intergenerational programs are:

• Annual Summer Picnic
• Visit to Sprout Creek Farm
• Clearwater Sloop
• Mid Hudson Children’s Museum

Respite Events

The formal term for getting a break is respite. Many people want more respite and haven’t been able to get it due to financial limitations and family stressors.  RAPP provides respite to relative caregivers through a holiday Drop and Shop program.  Relative caregivers drop off the children who take part in fun educational activities and games, while the adults go home to rest or shop.  Time away gives them a more balanced perspective regarding the family’s strengths and challenges

Parenting A Second Time Around (PASTA)

The curriculum, developed by Cornell University, Parenting A Second Time Around (P.A.S.T.A.), was written to specifically address the needs of relative caregivers, with the six lessons designed to meet the following goals:

• To acknowledge the ambivalent feelings that may accompany changing roles as relatives assume parenting responsibilities and children adjust to living with relatives.
• To help those who have moved into a parenting role feel more confident, comfortable and informed about community resources available to them.
• To provide a forum for discussion about sensitive issues (e.g. explaining why parent is not able to care for them), and including information about mental health resources.
• To provide an overview of child development, including information about temperament, as a reminder for grandparent/relative caregivers.
• To offer information and practical tips about authoritative and positive discipline.
• To encourage relative caregivers to see themselves as advocates for their relative children, particularly in accessing legal, medical, social, and educational services.

Click here for RAPP related links