225 Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 7:225–242, 2009 Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 1535-0770 print/1535-0932 online DOI: 10.1080/15350770902852369 WJIR 1535-0770 1535-0932 Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, Vol. 7, No. 2, Mar 2009: pp. 0–0 Journal of Intergenerational Relationships Kinship Care in Rural Georgia Communities: Responding to Needs and Challenges of Grandparent Caregivers Kinship Care in Rural Georgia Communities S. King et al. SHARON KING, PhD Georgia State University Gerontology Institute, Atlanta, Georgia, USA NANCY P. KROPF, PhD Georgia State University School of Social Work, Atlanta, Georgia, USA MOLLY PERKINS, PhD Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA LESLIE SESSLEY, LMSW and CLIFF BURT, MPA Division of Aging Services, Georgia Department of Human Resources, Atlanta, Georgia, USA MICHAEL LEPORE, PhD Brown University Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research, Providence, Rhode Island, USA In 2005, the Georgia Division of Aging Services initiated the Kinship Care Program to provide services to grandparents raising grandchildren throughout Georgia’s 12 regional Area Agencies on Aging. Many of the grandparents who receive Division of Aging Services services reside in rural communities. To assess the impact of the program among rural grandparents and learn more about their needs, an evaluation study was conducted with 30 grand- parents in four rural Kinship Care Program sites around Georgia. Analysis of focus group and questionnaire data indicated that grandparents had concerns about their own health and the health of their grandchildren and faced many challenges related to child rearing. Challenges included limited services for children with disabilities, lack of assistance with permanency planning and other legal issues related to adoption, and insensitive service providers. The data showed that grandparents also were plagued with feelings of isolation and marginalization within the Address correspondence to Sharon King, PhD, Assistant Research Professor, Gerontology Institute, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 3984, Atlanta, GA 30302 USA. E-mail: svking@gsu.edu