A new class is now available for grandparents through the Emerson Family School.
The school now counts a class for grandparents raising children among its family-centered programs. The class, which will run from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m on Mondays will also include a focus group and is geared toward grandparents raising their grandchildren. The class will be taught in partnership with Mississippi State University.
“There are a lot of grandparents that actually are taking care of their grandchildren now,” said Emerson resource manager Darlene Hinton. “It’s been going pretty good, we’ve had quite a few grandparents show up.”
After attending the four sessions, enrollees in the class will be given some groceries and other items.
Emerson School Director Joan Butler said it was the first time a grand-parenting class had been offered at Emerson.
“What we look as too much more is what they’re calling generation plus, and more or less families with extended families working together in parenting and family experience,” Butler said. “Now it’s not only the parents and the child, but now it’s the grandparents. They label that as generation plus with the whole family, and it can be lots of different components of that family.”
In addition to the grand-parenting classes, Emerson also offers a range of other parenting courses and support to the Starkville-Oktibbeha County community.
“It’s open, and we would just enjoy having people come in and sign up for this program, because I feel that our partnership with the university will make this even stronger and more inviting.”
For more information, the Emerson Family School can be reached at 662-617-9209.