S 3924: Creates a caregiver support program for grandparents and other older adult relative caregivers who are providing primary care for children aged 18 and under either formally or informally to provide technical assistance, counseling and other resources.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3924 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 30, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to authorizing the state office for the aging to implement a caregiver support program for grandparents and other older relatives who are caring for children The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The elder law is amended by adding a new section 226 to 2 read as follows: 3 § 226. Grandparent caregiver support program. 1. The director is here- 4 by authorized and directed, to the extent appropriations are available 5 therefor, to develop and establish a grandparent caregiver support 6 program for the purpose of providing support services to grandparents or 7 other older adult relative caregivers who are providing primary care for 8 a child. 9 2. Definitions. For the purposes of this section: 10 (a) "grandparent or other older adult relative caregivers" shall mean 11 a grandparent or stepgrandparent of a child or a relative of a child by 12 blood or marriage who: 13 (i) is sixty years of age or older, and 14 (ii) lives with the child, and 15 (iii) provides primary care for the child because the biological or 16 adoptive parents are unwilling or unable to serve as the primary care- 17 giver of the child, and 18 (iv) is the custodian or guardian of the child, or is raising the 19 child informally. 20 (b) "child" shall mean an individual who is eighteen years of age or 21 younger. 22 3. The grandparent caregiver support program may include, but is not 23 limited to: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD05404-01-5 
 S. 3924 2 1 (a) the creation of grandparent caregiver resource centers by local 2 offices for the aging in New York state, 3 (b) technical assistance and training for grandparent and other older 4 adult relative caregivers support groups, 5 (c) information and referral for grandparent and other older adult 6 relative caregivers, 7 (d) assistance to grandparents and other older adult relative caregiv- 8 ers in gaining access to available services, 9 (e) counseling to grandparents and other older adult relative caregiv- 10 ers in making decisions and solving problems relating to their caregiv- 11 ing roles, and 12 (f) the publication and dissemination of printed material related to 13 services available to grandparents and other older adult relative care- 14 givers. 15 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.