Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Feature Article

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Kinship Care: Grandparents and Relatives as Parents

By: Dr. Wilma J. Ruffin, Family & Human Development Specialist

Many grandparents in the United States (US) are finding grandparenthood different from what they expected. Instead of the occasional visits from their grandchildren, they have taken on the role of primary parents to their grandchildren. According to 2000 US Census data, six million (8.4 percent) of all children under the age of 18 are living in grandparent or other relative-maintained households across the nation. The Census further found that nearly 5.8 million grandparents are living in households with one or more of their own grandchildren under the age of 18. More than 2.4 million of these grandparents are primarily responsible for meeting the basic needs of these children. In Alabama, more than 113,000 (10.1 percent) children are now living in these conditions.

Although the percentage of children in Alabama living in grandparent or relative-maintained households is somewhat higher than the national percentage, a closer look at Alabama counties reveals other astounding percentages. For example, in Madison County 7.2 percent of children are living with grandparents or relatives. While this percentage is lower than the national average, two counties in West Alabama, Lowndes (19 percent) and Wilcox (17.3), both have higher national percentages. And Huntsville located in Northern Alabama, reported that as many as 1524 grandparents are the primary caregivers of grandchildren, and at least 2922 grandparents now live in the household with one or more grandchildren under the age 18.

Certainly, grandparents and relatives serving as the primary parent is not a new phenomenon; however, it is a rapidly growing trend that transcends all socioeconomic groups, geographic areas, and ethnicities. A variety of family circumstances such as the death of one or both parents, parental abandonment, family violence, the high incidence of divorce, parental imprisonment, drug addiction, or mental illness, and an increase in the number of never-married mothers (especially teen mothers) have all contributed to this rapidly growing trend. Unfortunately, the AIDS epidemic also plays a role in this increasing shift of responsibility for child rearing. These influences give rise to the increasing number of "skipped generation families," where the biological parent is absent from the home and grandparents serve as the sole or primary caregivers for their grandchildren.

Regardless of the diverse circumstances that led to grandparents and relatives new role, they share the common goal of wanting to provide a stable, nurturing environment for the children. Dedicated caregivers often take on their new roles at tremendous personal sacrifice. In fact, many grandparent caregivers find their personal resources stretched to the limit, and they lack the support of friends who can identify with the stressors they may be facing. Issues of health financial stability and parenting are also important to these individuals. Financial resources planned for the retirement years may be quickly depleted as the children's needs are addressed. In addition, grandparents often report other obstacles, including difficulty obtaining insurance coverage for dependent grandchildren and enrolling their grandchildren in school when they do not have formal guardianship of the child. Even when the grandparent has obtained legal authority over the child, custody arrangements are continually subject to challenge from biological parents and the stability of the arrangements remain uncertain (Family Information Services, 1999).

Working through the many bureaucratic systems that the family may be involved with can be frustrating and difficult. Grandparents, who serve as surrogate parents, face a different set of psychological challenges than first time parents and non-care-giving grandparents. Three main areas of concern for grandparents parenting grandchildren are: 1) loss of the expected and preferred grandparent role; 2) uncertainty about the permanence of the childcare arrangements; and 3) the relationship with the son or daughter who is unable to fulfill the parenting role.

Other emotional difficulties may include feelings of disappointment; shame; anger; conflict with their offspring who are unwilling or unable to raise their own children; jealousy within the family unit; self-doubt about the ability to parent effectively; loss of freedom; disruption of friendships with peers; loss of control over one's future; and worry about the stability of the child's placement and the child's future. Grandparents who are raising their grandchildren often express significantly lower feelings of life satisfaction when compared to non-care-giving grandparents.

Grandparents and other relatives rarely plan to parent a second generation of children. Those who do assume surrogate parenting roles agree to take on the responsibility of providing full-time care rather than allow harmful living situations to continue or the child to be placed in foster care outside the family. Given the personal and economic strain that often accompanies surrogate parents, many grandparents need support and/or interventions tailored to their unique needs. Education that addresses these issues at the level of personal adjustment, skill enhancement, emotional support and advocacy for greater systemic support, can greatly assist this population.

Sadly, many organizations that provide services for both generations are not prepared to deal with the special needs and situations presented. Policies and practices nationally should encourage rather than discourage the responsible actions of those relatives who come forward to care for children of kin. It is imperative that policies are created to support the many challenges these families face.

Extension's Urban Affairs and New Nontraditional Programs unit as the lead agency in collaboration with American Association of Retired Persons, the Alabama Department of Human Services, and the Alabama Department of Senior Services have formed a coalition to address the needs of relative caregivers through the Relatives As Parents Program (RAPP). This network of state agencies, with Cooperative Extension serving as the lead agency, received a seed grant from the Brookdale Foundation of New York to create or expand services to grandparents or other relatives who have taken on the responsibility of surrogate parenting.

The goals of the Alabama RAPP Coalition are to provide technical assistance for establishing and facilitating support groups, to conduct informational sessions, and to identify community resources for grandparents and other relatives parenting children. Currently, three local programs are being conducted in Blount and Madison Counties and through the Florence City Schools.

For information on starting a support network or participating in an existing group, contact Dr. Wilma J. Ruffin (256-372-4960), Kevin H. Crenshaw (256-372-4939), or Alison Couch (256-372-4584).

U.S. Census 2000 DP-2. Grandparent caregivers in the United States, the 50 states, and the District of Columbia.

Dannison, L. and Dannison C. (1999), Grandparents raising grandchildren. Family Information Services Professional Resource Materials, Family Information Services: Minneapolis, MN.