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In the past 10 years the United States has seen a dramatic increase in the number of children who live without their parents in a household headed by a relative. More than 2.5 million grandparents now raise grandchildren without a biological parent present in the home (Simmons & Dye 2003).
Many other grandparents provide full- or part-time child care for working parents, often as a supplement to early childhood education programs such as Head Start or family child care. Because grandparents are often the ones who see teachers or caregivers at drop-off or pickup times or may be the only adults available, many become the logical family contact for a program.
Grandparents who assume responsibility for their grandchildren are unsung heroes and heroines of the twenty-first century. Without them, many children whose parents are unwilling or unable to care for them would be in the foster care system.
Circumstances and challenges differ
A popular image of grandparents portrays them as individuals who provide loving relationships and enriching experiences for grandchildren or give practical help with child care for working parents. But the circumstances under which many grandparents become the primary adults in the lives of grandchildren are often unfortunate, even tragic. The reasons include parental drug and/or alcohol use, divorce, mental and physical illness (including AIDS), child abuse and neglect, incarceration, even death. Some skipped-generation families (grandparents raising grandchildren) are temporary arrangements while parents are completing their education, on military or business assignment, recovering from illness, or serving a short jail term. Whether brief or permanent, almost all skipped-generation families begin with trauma for children, parents, and grandparents.
The challenges for these caregivers are unique and sometimes overwhelming. Few adults in their later years plan to be caring for children-especially children who may be traumatized, deeply unhappy, or suffering from chronic health conditions-while they themselves are experiencing some of the more difficult aspects of growing older. For grandparents, shortages of time and money, declining health, unfamiliarity with existing community resources (especially in the fields of medical care and education), and confusing legal problems often combine with grief and guilt about their child's inability to parent.
Contrary to popular belief, not all of these grandparents are elderly. Some are in their thirties, with children still at...