Grandparents raising grandchildren is a growing phenomenon, nationally and here in New Mexico. In Rio Arriba County, 60 percent of children under age 6 are in the care of grandparents. On Friday, October 16, a statewide conference on this topic will take place at the Santa Fe Convention Center. Reporter Mary Lou Cooper talks with a conference organizer to learn more.
Mary Lou Cooper has reported for KSFR for over a decade, focusing on consumer issues, health, politics, and more. She is a former US Congressional staffer and remains a political junkie to this day. Cooper has received journalism awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, Associated Press, National Federation of Press Women and New Mexico Press Women. She grew up in Oak Ridge, TN and received her BA from Emory University in Atlanta and her MA from the University of Texas Austin. She holds fiction and screenwriting certificates from the University of Washington.