89R11884 BK-D
By: Garcia of Bexar H.R. No. 115
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, More than a quarter of a million Texas children are
being raised by a relative other than their parents; and
WHEREAS, Grandparents often take on the responsibility of
raising their grandchildren when needed, and by stepping forward to
provide them with a loving home, they help ensure that their
grandchildren do not enter or remain in the foster care system; and
WHEREAS, These grandparents are commonly informal kinship
caregivers who often receive limited financial assistance from the
state and who have limited authority to make important everyday
decisions for the well-being of their grandchildren; some struggle
to economically support their families and to access the mental and
behavioral health resources that they and their grandchildren need;
and
WHEREAS, The nonprofit Texas Grandparents Raising
Grandchildren works tirelessly to empower and advocate for children
and families across the Lone Star State by providing support groups
and connecting grandparents with community resources; TXGRG
benefits from the leadership of its executive director, Mercedes
Bristol, who founded the organization after adopting five of her
grandchildren in 2011; and
WHEREAS, Through its relentless advocacy before the
legislature, Texas Grandparents Raising Grandchildren has
increased awareness of the issues grandparent caregivers face and
helped them to build a brighter future for their families, and the
organization has earned the deep and lasting gratitude of all those
whose lives have been touched by its vital work; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize January 30, 2025, as Grandparents
Raising Grandchildren Day, honor the nonprofit Texas Grandparents
Raising Grandchildren for its contributions to the State of Texas,
and celebrate the integral role that grandparent caregivers play.