Maine Organizations

www.mainekids-kin.org or call 1-866-298-0896

Maine Kids-Kin - Information and support services for people raising their relative’s children in Maine. 

www.affm.net or call 1-800-833-9786
Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine offers a variety of support services to adoptive, foster, and kinship families.

Services include monthly newsletter, a popular discount card for a variety of statewide vendors, support group meetings, summer camp scholarships, holiday parties, and much more.

http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/index.shtml

Maine Department of Human Services has many online resources including information about their programs, and downloadable publications including information about elder services, child welfare, and Mainecare.

www.umaine.edu/mainecenteronaging/mhrapp.htm
The University of Maine Center on Aging.  This site describes a Maine collaborative project to network service providers, develop a task force, and create new groups for grandparents raising grandchildren. The focus is on mental health issues.

National Organizations

www.aarp.org/life/grandparents/grandchild.

AARP’s grandparent information center has fact sheets and a newsletter and information on local support groups for grandparent caregivers.

www.gu.org
Generations United is a national organization that provides information and resources to grandparents and service programs.  They offer a newsletter, statistics, and some information specific to Maine.

www.aoa.dhhs.gov/
Information from the Administration on Aging

www.caregiving.org
National Alliance for Caregiving connects families with information on caregiver resources and local services.

www.childrensdefense.org
Children's Defense Fund provides a strong, effective voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves.

www.cwla.org/programs/kinship/faq.htm
Has general information on kinship care from the Child Welfare League of America

www.Grandparentagain.com
Tips and information nationwide

www.grandparenting.org
The Foundation for Grandparenting is dedicated to raising grandparent consciousnes and grandparent identity.

www.grandsplace.com
Grandsplace is a web site offering grandparents information on local resources and online discussion of issues relating to raising their grandchildren.

http://www.nfpainc.org/

The National Foster Parent Association is the only national organization which strives to support foster parents, and remains a consistently stron voice on behalf of all children.

Legal Resources

www.kidslegalaid.org

Kids Legal Services (special education, housing, etc.) 

www.ptla.org

Pine Tree Legal Association:  Free legal services in areas of housing, family law, social services, benefits, education, healthcare, etc. It also provides access to Maine law and self-help information.

http://www.mainelse.org/

Legal Services for the Elderly provides free legal services to Maine's socially and economically needy elders age 60 and over. This site contains information about Legal Services for the Elderly, their staff and the ways they may be able to help you. It also contains client education materials, as well as links to other organizations which also may be able to help.

Medications

www.medem.com

Contains many articles on medications and health issues as they related to both adults and children.  Type "children" in the search box for all child related articles.

Financial Assistance

www.mejp.org

Maine Care, TANF, food stamps, etc.: 

www.Socialsecurity.gov

Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for adults and children: 

Education

www.maine.gov/education/speced/index.htm

Special Education services for children: 

Alcohol and Drug Information

www.coaf.org/family/caregivers/kinmain.htm

How to talk to kids about drugs and alcohol and information on how to cope with kids behavior problems: 

www.maine.gov/bds/osa

Maine Alcohol and other Drug abuse Services: 

www.family.samhsa.gov
A family guide to keeping youth mentally healthy and drug free.

Additional Reading

www.seniorliving.about.com
In the search blank, type "grandparenting"-this will give you many links.

www.thirdage.com/features/family/grandparent/index.html
Great articles including real family stories.

www.uwex.edu/ces/gprg/gprg.html
This is the site of a 1999 conference for agencies and professionals working the kinship families