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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Parents and children may be struggling with the new economic realities of this recession, but a new national effort seeks to remind Americans with at least one grandparent in their families how rich they truly are.
“For the past several years grandparents have been playing an increasingly important role in helping America’s children and families, providing full-time care to millions of children, ” says Christine Crosby, founder and publisher of GRAND magazine. “Now, with a major recession upon us, grandparents are bringing critical help and wisdom from hard times in the past to hold families together and keep them healthy. Recognizing grandparents’ value is more important than ever.”
Few Americans are aware that grandparents are the primary caregivers for nearly six million U.S. children. In fact, 75 percent of all non-parental care of children in America is now provided by grandparents. Millions more help their children and children’s children on a daily basis.
To focus the nation’s attention on this growing phenomenon and provide grandparents with the recognition they deserve, GRAND, the Online Magazine for GRANDParents, Humana (NYSE: HUM), and the national children’s crisis charity KidsPeace are launching the fourth annual national search for an example of extraordinary care worthy of the title of GRANDParent of the Year. Any member of the American public can nominate a GRANDparent of the Year. Nominating forms are available online at www.grandmagazine.com. All nominations include a 150-word description of why the nominee deserves this honor. The GRANDparent of the Year will be honored with a five-day, four-night vacation for four to family-friendly Orlando, including air, hotel, rental car and tickets to Walt Disney World, SeaWorld Orlando or Universal Orlando plus admission to two of Orlando’s popular water parks and dinner at Arabian Nights. The top 10 finalists will receive a $100 gift certificate and their photos and essays of nomination will be published in the September issue of GRAND Magazine, in time for National Grandparents Day on Sept. 13 and on www.grandmagazine.com. In addition, every grandparent nominated will receive a free subscription to GRAND Magazine.
The national effort is being presented by Humana, which shares GRAND’s goals to celebrate and honor grandparents and strengthen the bond between grandparents and grandchildren.
And because of its work with and interest in helping children and families, the 127-year-old national children’s crisis charity KidsPeace has agreed to be the nonprofit partner for the effort.
“Grandparents are becoming increasingly critical to the health and welfare of our nation’s children and families,” says KidsPeace President & CEO William Isemann. “At a time when children are facing unprecedented stresses and many parents are busy juggling home and career, the deep reservoir of knowledge, parenting wisdom and help provided by today’s 79 million grandparents amounts to nothing less that a national treasure. We must do more to recognize this growing trend and provide support and recognition to those who are raising increasing numbers of the nation’s children and making it possible for America’s families to thrive in good times – and bad.”
“Today’s grandparents have lived through wars, recessions, and for some of the older ones, even the Great Depression,” said Tom Liston, senior vice president with Humana. “With their experience and gentle guidance, grandparents have always been families’ secret weapon for success. Our hope now is that the national GRANDParent of the Year search will make their contributions a little less secret.”
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