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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
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Recently, I was surprised to learn that a friend of mine was raised by her grandmother. But according to the latest statistics, I shouldn’t have been. Throughout history, grandparents have raised grandchildren, mostly as part of a family “team” effort, with the parents generally supplying the basics needed for survival. Today, however, greater numbers of grandparents are rearing children for various reasons, and the trend is only growing. The US 2000 Census reports that there are close to 2.5 million households with older adult grandparents raising their grandchildren; furthermore, 6.3% of American children under 18 (that’s 4.5 million!) live in grandparent-headed households.
Some grandparents welcome the role of parent and view it as a blessing, happy for the chance to form a closer bond with their grandchildren. Unfortunately, for many grandparents, the role of caregiver is not an option, but a necessity. The reasons for this trend are many, including the death of a parent or a parent who is away in the military. More often than not though, there is a connection with alcohol and drug abuse or simply neglect. The parent or parents may be mentally ill, incarcerated or simply incapable of caring for their kids. Enter Grandma.
The issue is broad, and many factors affect raising a child, including the grandparent’s health, whether or not a grandparent is doing this alone or with a spouse, whether a grandparent lives in a long-term care facility or at home, household income, etc. If you are one of the growing number of people faced with the prospect of taking care of your grandchildren, I’ve provided some valuable resources for you to peruse.
- Your Legal Options
- Health Insurance for Grandchildren
- When Your Grandchild’s Parent is in Jail
- Dealing with Stress
- National Center on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Here is to making your role as parent to your grandchild as rich an experience as it can be!
Ami Icanberry
Posted in: Senior Care News, Senior Trends
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It’s been hard figuring out what to tell my granddaughter about her dad who got into trouble with the law. She’s old enough now to understand and I want to make sure I say the right thing. Thank you for the link to the article about this issue. I feel a lot more prepared now for that conversation and the others that may follow.
Years ago it was a common thing to see grandparents raising their grandchildren. I was raised in a home where we had 5 generations in one home and I loved it. My children are missing out in a life changing experience. I think the trend is growing again and I am happy to see that.
I think that grandparents raising grandchildren is an important issue that is often overlooked. They are such central figures in any family and their role should not be underestimated. The love they can provide children is immense and I hope all children could be lucky enough to have their grandparents as important people in their lives, whether they are the primary caretakers or not.