Knapik files new Senate bill

By Katelyn Gendron-List, Staff Writer

WESTFIELD The recent phenomenon of grandparents raising grandchildren in the state of Massachusetts has prompted Senator Michael Knapik to take action and file a senate bill on behalf of their welfare.

On June 6, Knapik's proposed piece of legislation, Senate Bill 86, which would establish the "Grandparents Raising Grandchildren" Commission, was subject to a public hearing at the State House by the Legislature's Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.

"I have a special place in my heart for these grandparents," said Knapik. "I really like the idea of creating a commission as a way for people to identify resources such as grandparent support groups and mental health services."

The "Grandparents Raising Grandchildren" Commission would be comprised of a panel of experts from the House of Representatives, the Senate, five members appointed by the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, three members appointed by the governor, and one member appointed by the attorney general, according to Elizabeth Broda, legislative aid to Knapik

The purpose of this commission would be to consolidate resources for grandparents raising grandchildren and serve as a link between aid groups and the government in order to promote legislation that would help these unique families, according to Broda.

The Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities heard testimony from various grandparents and personnel from aid organizations promoting the need for the "Grandparents Raising Grandchildren" Commission. Charity Bell, director of Massachusetts Society of Prevention on Cruelty of Children (MSPCC) and KINnections, testified with overwhelming support for the commission.

"I really think that putting a single agency to support grandparents raising grandchildren is great," Bell said. "If we can bring their needs to the forefront and bring together the agencies that serve them to one place statewide, so that there's one place to call, it's going to make it easier for families to do what they need to do to care for the kids."

According to Bell, whose organizations aid many grandparents raising grandchildren, all too often she hears from a grandparent who was at work and gets a message to pick up their grandchildren at the Department of Social Services. This grandparent will never return to work again because they must now raise their grandchildren fulltime.

One such grandparent raising his grandchildren is State House Representative John Lepper, who has been raising his two granddaughters for the past 12 years. In conjunction with Knapik, Lepper stated that he also filed a bill on behalf of grandparents raising grandchildren, Bill 617 in the House, the same bill as Senate Bill 86.

"The commission is something that I've felt was needed for some time now and my hope is that it gets established," said Lepper. "Then advocacy groups in the Commonwealth will have some ability to provide information to the legislative commission that will isolate important issues to make it easier for grandparents to navigate the system."

According to Lepper, many grandparents feel isolated and do not know the extent that their grandchildren have been affected by their circumstances. Often these grandchildren have been victims of drugs, mental illness and even traumatic accidents or abandonment. The commission would therefore give these families resources to find the proper aid agencies.

After hearing the testimony, the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities is currently reviewing both bills and if a positive recommendation is received the bills will move onto the floors of the House and Senate for consideration, according to Lepper.

"We're going to work on the bill this summer with the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, and then by the fall we want to get a piece of legislation in place to establish a real commission," said Knapik.