About

The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Southern Arizona Coalition (GRGSoAZ) was formed in 1999 after the National Satellite Conference on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. Working/Action Committees were formed to determine the needs of grandparents raising grandchildren in southern Arizona. The GRGSoAZ facilitated strategic planning meetings for coalition members and grandparent representatives from grandparent support groups from Pima, Maricopa, Cochise, Graham, and Yuma counties. The strategic plan established agency and grandparents' needs in the various communities.

Focus groups were facilitated for grandparent support groups in the counties to further establish grandparents' specific needs as to diversity regarding culture, programs, and language. The strategic plan and focus group analyses helped determine criteria for future programming and delivery.

The objectives of GRGSoAZ are to:

• Establish a network of professionals
• Explore core issues and concerns of grandparents raising grandchildren
• Collaborate with other agencies to develop a resource notebook
• Develop a model to establish support groups