Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Quick Facts...

Today's grandparent is more involved in "kinship care" than ever before.
When a grandparent fills a parent role, particularly when the parent is present, the lines of family authority tend to become confused in the child's mind.
Do not attempt to get grandchildren to take sides in their parents' divorce.
If a recently divorced in-law feels that weekly visits by the former spouse's parents are too difficult to manage for the moment, the grandparents should, in most instances, not argue.

Parenting a grandchild may require such resources as child-care, insurance, social security benefits, and interactions with other grandparents in similar circumstances.
An increasing number of births to unmarried teen mothers, a high divorce rate, and epidemics of HIV/AIDS, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and illegal drug (especially methamphetamine) use leave many children orphaned, or with parents unable to care for them.





Tips for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Following are some tips for grandparents to nurture grandchildren in a caregiving role:

With younger grandchildren, read to them everyday.
Help grandchildren practice safety by providing needed equipment and role-modeling behaviors like always buckling seat belts.
Keep immunizations up-to-date.
Provide nutritious foods.
Set a good example by calmly working out disputes, especially with the grandchild’s parents.
Monitor television, movie, music, and computer use by grandchildren.
If a grandchild has special needs, seek out services as soon as possible.
Make the grandchild feel loved and important.

Internet Resources
Administration on Aging is the federal government agency offering resources for grandparents raising grandchildren: www.aoa.gov/prof/notes/Docs/Grandparents_Raising_Grandchildren.pdf

AARP Grandparent Information Center provides a wide variety of resources for grandparents, as well as technical support materials to community-based groups and service agencies working with grandparents: www.aarp.org/families/grandparents

American Bar Association’s Center for Children and Law can provide answers to legal aspects of raising grandchildren: www.abanet.org/child/home.html