Dec 23, 2014 09:40 AM EST By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

The WellCare Community Foundation has awarded $2,500 to the School District of University City's GrandFamilies Program to support grandparents within the school district who are raising or helping to raise their school-age grandchildren.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 9 percent of Missouri children under the age of 18 are being raised by their grandparents or other relatives. In the St. Louis area alone, nearly 4,000 grandparents are the head of household and responsible for raising their grandchildren.

"Our goal is to provide interested caregivers with the resources they need to help them obtain legal guardianship within a supportive, non-threatening environment," Bernadette White, executive director of student services for the School District of University City, said in a statement. "It's been a longtime dream of ours to help these grandfamilies. Now, WellCare's donation will help make this dream a reality by providing families with the information they need, while helping them pay the initial fees to begin the application process."

The School District of University City, a fully-accredited school district serving PreK-12 students in University City, Mo., currently has 15 reported cases of students who are being raised by their grandparents or other family members. These caregivers often need to gain legal guardianship when the parent is deceased, incarcerated or the family is unable to locate them. However, many are concerned that they will not have the resources needed to secure guardianship and that they will not meet the legal requirements.

Without traditional parental rights, grandparents face difficult legal challenges when attempting to address their grandchild's health concerns, secure insurance coverage and make educational decisions on their behalf.

"Missouri Care serves nearly 40,000 members in Eastern Missouri and we are committed to helping all of them obtain the medical and behavioral services and supports they need to get and stay healthy," said Barbara Witte, state president of Missouri Care. "By investing in programs like this, we ensure that grandparents can actively participate in the decisions that impact their grandchildren's health and well-being."

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