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A night to remember

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Luzerne County family court Judge Jennifer Rogers has seen the pain on the faces of grandparents raising grandchildren.</p><p>&#8220;Thankfully, that pain is balanced against the commitment and dedication to raising a child in a painful situation,&#8221; Rogers said Friday. &#8220;The situation is derivatively painful for the child involved, but as adults, we can acknowledge that the pain is directly affecting you &#8212; the parent of a parent.&#8221;</p><p>Rogers was the keynote speaker at Friday&#8217;s 12th annual Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Conference at Genetti&#8217;s Best Western Plus Hotel and Conference Center. More than 200 grandparents, social workers and caregivers attended the conference.</p><p>Rogers spoke about serving as a family court judge and working first-hand with grandparents adjusting to the role of sole caregiver for their grandchildren.</p><p>&#8220;You are the person who thought that you would be the periodic babysitter, the companion at the park, the cheerleader from the sidelines of the game or ballet recital,&#8221; Rogers said. &#8220;But unfortunately, life&#8217;s journey took you on a detour that you did not anticipate.&#8221;</p><p>Rogers said the grandparents now faced with raising their grandchildren are the direct victims of loss due to their child&#8217;s substance abuse, incarceration, death, divorce, mental illness, housing crisis, apathy or other situation.</p><p>Pennsylvania Department of Aging Secretary Teresa Osborne also spoke at the conference, themed &#8220;Generations of Love,&#8221; and sponsored by the NEPA Inter-generational Coalition and Pittston Memorial Library.</p><p>&#8220;One of the worst effects of the opioid crisis is that more and more grandchildren are living without their parents present, and it&#8217;s the grandparents who are stepping in to care for their grandchildren while their own child battles substance abuse,&#8221; Osborne said. &#8220;What begins as a temporary situation, often results in a full-time arrangement and we need to ensure that Pennsylvania&#8217;s grandparents are supported and have access to resources that will help them as they parent for the second time around.&#8221;</p><p>An estimated 82,000 grandparents are the sole caregivers for nearly 89,000 grandchildren in Pennsylvania. That number is increasing due to the devastating opioid crisis. Pennsylvania&#8217;s House Children and Youth Committee estimates that Pennsylvania grandparents are saving the state at least an estimated $1 billion per year by keeping their grandchildren out of the foster care system.</p><p>Brenda Saba, who is raising her 11-year-old grandson, has become an outspoken advocate for grandparents raising grandchildren. She offered several comments and spoke on behalf of Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, who was unable to attend the morning session.</p><p>On Friday, Saba said the conference was an opportunity for the social service workers to see and feel the emotion attached to the grandparents&#8217; issues.</p><p>&#8220;This is a great time for them to really hear what we go through on a daily basis,&#8221; Saba said. &#8220;For them it&#8217;s a job. Today, they can hear the emotion behind the files.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Conference, held at Genetti&#8217;s on Friday morning, was well-attended. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_TTL102018Grandparents2.jpg</photo0><caption0>The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Conference, held at Genetti&#8217;s on Friday morning, was well-attended. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_TTL102018Grandparents1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Luzerne County Judge Jennifer Rogers speaks at the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Conference at Genetti&#8217;s in Wilkes-Barre on Friday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_TTL102018Grandparents1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Luzerne County Judge Jennifer Rogers speaks at the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Conference at Genetti&#8217;s in Wilkes-Barre on Friday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Judge speaks at 12th annual Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Conference