Havre support group helping grandparents raising grandchildren

The Montana Kinship Program Havre Support Group, formerly known as “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren” will meet for their monthly meeting Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Havre-Hill County Library.

The meeting will include a presentation by guest speaker Child Bridge Regional Director Bryon Gustafson of Great Falls and refreshments will be provided.

“It creates a community of support,” Montana State University Hill County Extension Agent Jasmine Carbajal said. “It gives a space once a month where people can let their kids go read some books and they have some space for themselves to talk to other adults.”

Havre support group members Leland Stewart and his wife, Colleen White Wolf, are part of the Montana Kinship Program. They are raising two of their grandchildren and have been for the past 14 months.

White Wolf said her granddaughters are 14 and 10, adding that she and her husband haven’t parented in 20 years or more.

She said she and her husband have gained valuable information and resources from going to the support group.

“It is beneficial because, with the support group, we can hear other grandparents’ struggles and challenges and how they overcome, encouraging one another and to stay positive,” she said. “That’s the biggest benefit of this group coming together, knowing that there is help out there.”

White Wolf said with Montana Kinship Care providing a program they have a lot of resources and tips on how to get the youth in school, get medical updates and make sure they are getting physicals.

“These support groups, we are able to find out where to go for help with Medicaid for them, where there are … classes and scholarships available for tutors, so with these types of resources and knowledge we can pass it on to other grandparents,” she said.“I just want to extend a warm welcome to them and an invitation to just come and observe, listen, and there might be something there that could help them.

With these resources they find out there is help available for grandparents, she added.

The Montana Kinship Program Havre Support Group meets on the third Tuesday of every month. The next meeting will be Dec. 17, at 6 p.m.

We have this group for the grandparents because it’s a need,” White Wolf said.

For more information, people can  call Carbajal at 400-2335 or email her at [email protected].