The 6th Annual North County Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Relative Caregiver Symposium will take place on Saturday, August 26th, 2017 from 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at the North Inland Live Well Center in Escondido at 649 West Mission Avenue, Escondido, CA 92025.

With over 24,000 grandparents in San Diego County raising their grandchildren and hundreds more relative caregivers, this event honors those who have filled the role of a primary caregiver for a child in need. Kinship caregivers play a crucial role in providing a loving home for these children, whose parents, for whatever reason, are unable to care for them, and they provide them with the opportunities they need to be healthy, safe, and thriving individuals.

The theme of this year’s free symposium is “My Home, My Harbor: Creating a Safety Net of Support for Families.” The event will feature over 30 community organizations providing health, safety, financial, legal, and other resources relevant to caregivers. Breakout sessions include:

• Guardianship and Adoption
• Individualized Education Plans (IEP)
• Balancing Self-Care and Caregiving
• Cyber Safety
• Career Readiness for Youth

Adults ages 60 and over can receive free shingles vaccines and blood pressure screenings from County Public Health nurses. Youth may participate in free dental screenings and check-ups from North County community clinics. And there will be an expired/unused prescription drug drop off box for attendees to safely deposit expired and unused medications at the event.

Lunch and childcare will be provided free of charge, and translation is available for Spanish speaking attendees. Space is limited and registration is required.

To register for the symposium, please visit: http://211sandiego.org/resources/highlighted-resources/grandparents-caregivers/grg-registration/ or call 2-1-1. Registration ends Saturday, August 19th, 2017.