New Jersey’s Unsung Heroes: Advocates Urge Greater Recognition of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Advocates Call for Greater Support for Kinship Caregivers as National Book Highlights the Sacrifices of Grandparents Raising the Next Generation

TRENTON, N.J. — For many New Jersey grandparents, retirement looks very different from what they once imagined. Instead of enjoying their golden years, they are raising grandchildren, attending parent-teacher conferences, helping with homework, and making extraordinary sacrifices to keep their families together.

Across the Garden State, grandparents and other relatives have stepped into parenting roles because of family crises, parental loss, substance use disorders, and other circumstances. Their contributions are often overlooked, despite the profound difference they make in children’s lives.

Advocates are calling for greater recognition, stronger community partnerships, and additional resources for grandparents who have assumed the responsibility of raising another generation.

Among those raising awareness is Shaheed Muhammad Morris, a Trenton native, former television journalist, and first-generation college graduate whose grandmother, Lucinda Dockery, raised him after his mother abandoned him at birth.

Morris, whose story is featured in the national book Grandfamilies: The Stories of Children and the Loving Relatives Who Raised Them, by Donna M. Butts, hopes to bring greater attention to the financial, emotional, and physical challenges facing kinship caregivers throughout New Jersey.

The Grandparents Who Hold Families Together

For many grandparents, becoming a full-time caregiver is not something they planned. Some are living on fixed incomes while managing their own health challenges, yet they willingly take on the financial, emotional, and physical responsibilities of raising children.

Their sacrifices can mean postponing retirement, returning to work, stretching Social Security benefits, or putting their personal needs aside to ensure their grandchildren have a stable and loving home.

“Grandparents are among the most overlooked heroes in our communities,” Morris said. “They are raising children, keeping families together, and making sacrifices that most people will never fully understand. They deserve more than our gratitude. They deserve recognition, resources, and meaningful support.”

Morris believes New Jersey should place greater emphasis on recognizing kinship caregivers and ensuring they have access to educational, financial, and community resources.

“Imagine spending your entire life working and raising a family, only to reach retirement age and suddenly find yourself raising young children again,” Morris said. “For many grandparents, that is their reality. They do it because of love, but love should not mean having to struggle alone.”

A National Voice for Grandfamilies

Published in June 2026, Grandfamilies: The Stories of Children and the Loving Relatives Who Raised Themshares the experiences of individuals whose lives were transformed by grandparents and other relatives who stepped forward when they were needed most.

Through these personal accounts, the book highlights the resilience of grandfamilies and the extraordinary influence of caregivers whose contributions often extend far beyond their own households.

Donna M. Butts, a nationally recognized advocate for intergenerational families, longtime leader, former CEO of Generations United, and highly sought-after speaker on issues affecting children, older adults, and kinship caregivers, has dedicated her career to strengthening connections across generations and advancing policies that support grandfamilies nationwide.

Through her advocacy, public speaking, and writing, Butts continues to elevate the voices of grandparents and other relatives raising children, bringing national attention to their contributions, challenges, and need for greater support.

“Grandfamilies remind us that family is defined not only by relationships, but by the people who show up when children need them most,” Butts said. “Across New Jersey and throughout the country, grandparents and other relatives are providing love, stability, and a sense of belonging to children facing difficult circumstances through no fault of their own. Their stories deserve to be heard, their sacrifices deserve to be recognized, and their families deserve the support they need to thrive.”

From Trenton Public Housing to College Graduation

Morris knows firsthand the transformative power of a grandparent’s love.

Raised in public housing in Trenton, he credits his grandmother with providing the foundation that allowed him to overcome adversity and pursue opportunities beyond the circumstances of his childhood.

Despite having limited financial resources, Dockery instilled in her grandson the importance of education, perseverance, faith, and character. Morris said his grandmother raised eight children and two grandchildren on a custodian’s salary.

He eventually became the first person in his family to graduate from college, earning degrees from Mercer County Community College and South Dakota State University. He continued his education by studying real estate finance and development at Iowa State University.

One of the defining moments of his life came when his grandmother attended his college graduation at age 90. It was her first time visiting a college campus.

“My grandmother never attended college, but she understood the value of education,” Morris said. “She didn’t have wealth or influential connections. What she had was unconditional love, determination, and a belief that I could become something greater than the circumstances I was born into.”

A Call for Greater Recognition Across New Jersey

Morris hopes the growing conversation surrounding grandfamilies will inspire greater awareness and meaningful action throughout New Jersey.

He believes schools, community organizations, faith-based institutions, nonprofits, and policymakers can play an important role in ensuring that grandfamilies receive the recognition and assistance they deserve.

Echoing Morris’s call for greater recognition, Butts emphasized the importance of ensuring that grandparents and other relatives raising children are not overlooked by the communities and institutions that depend on their sacrifices.

“Grandparents and other relatives raising children are doing extraordinary work that too often goes unseen and unsupported,” Butts said. “In New Jersey and across the nation, these caregivers are providing children with the stability, security, and love they need to succeed. We must move beyond simply thanking them for their sacrifices and make sure they have access to the financial assistance, services, and community support they deserve. When we invest in grandfamilies, we invest in stronger children, stronger families, and stronger communities.”

Morris also hopes to encourage more individuals who were raised by grandparents to share their stories and celebrate the relatives who helped shape their lives.

“There are children in Trenton, Newark, Camden, Paterson, and communities throughout New Jersey who are being raised by grandparents making tremendous sacrifices every single day,” Morris said. “Those children have dreams, talents, and enormous potential. We should be doing everything possible to help them succeed.”

For Morris, advocacy is ultimately about gratitude, opportunity, and the extraordinary impact one person can have on another’s life.

“I want every child being raised by a grandparent to know that their circumstances do not determine their future,” Morris said. “I am living proof that a child raised by a grandmother, even in the most challenging circumstances, can achieve great things.”

He hopes his grandmother’s story will encourage New Jersey residents to recognize the grandparents and relatives whose quiet acts of sacrifice continue to shape generations.

“Some of the greatest heroes in New Jersey will never receive an award, appear on television, or have their names in a newspaper,” Morris said. “They are grandparents sitting at kitchen tables helping children with homework, preparing meals, and making sure the next generation has a better life. Those are the people we should be celebrating.”

About Shaheed Muhammad Morris

Shaheed Muhammad Morris is a Trenton, New Jersey, native, former television journalist, first-generation college graduate, and advocate for grandfamilies. Raised by his grandmother, Lucinda Dockery, in public housing, Morris overcame significant childhood adversity and went on to graduate from Mercer County Community College and South Dakota State University.

His story is featured in Grandfamilies: The Stories of Children and the Loving Relatives Who Raised Them, by Donna M. Butts. Morris shares his journey to inspire others through messages of resilience, perseverance, education, faith, and the transformative power of family.

About Donna M. Butts

Donna M. Butts is a nationally recognized advocate, author, and highly sought-after speaker who has dedicated her career to strengthening families and fostering connections across generations. As the former Executive Director of Generations United, a national organization dedicated to improving the lives of children, youth, and older adults through intergenerational collaboration, Butts has been a leading voice in advancing policies and programs that support grandparents and other relatives raising children.

Throughout her career, Butts has worked with policymakers, nonprofit organizations, community leaders, and advocates across the country to raise awareness of the challenges facing grandfamilies and promote greater recognition and resources for kinship caregivers.

She is the author of Grandfamilies: The Stories of Children and the Loving Relatives Who Raised Them, published in June 2026, which highlights the resilience, sacrifices, and lasting influence of grandparents and relatives who have stepped forward to provide children with loving and stable homes. She served as an at-large delegate to the 2005 White House Conference on Aging and attended the 2015 conference. Her commentary has appeared in, among other publications, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Wall Street Journal. She has also been interviewed on national and local radio and television, including the TODAY Show, National Public Radio, and ABC News.

About the Book

Grandfamilies: The Stories of Children and the Loving Relatives Who Raised Them, written by Donna M. Butts and published in June 2026, highlights the experiences of individuals raised by grandparents and other relatives.

The book is available for purchase through major booksellers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. All proceeds from book sales support Generations United and its ongoing efforts to advocate for and strengthen grandfamilies and kinship caregivers nationwide.

https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Donna-M-Butts/258191986