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Grandparents raising grandchildren. What would life be like as a grandchild raised by grandparents?positive aspectsnegative aspectsWhat would life be like as a grandparent raising grandchildren?positive aspectsnegative aspects. One negative side of grandparent-grandchild coresidence: necessity
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1. Sociology 412 (Martin)Lecture 14: April 14, 2009.
Grandparents raising grandchildren
demographic patterns
possible explanations
possible effects
Relevant Readings:
Casper and Bianchi Chapter 6.
2. Grandparents raising grandchildren What would life be like as a grandchild raised by grandparents?
positive aspects
negative aspects
What would life be like as a grandparent raising grandchildren?
positive aspects
negative aspects
3. One negative side of grandparent-grandchild coresidence: necessity “Who is there to care when the parents won’t or can’t ? Grandparents!”
As traditional families become more unstable…
there are more grandparent-grandchild families
grandparent-grandchild families become poorer
4. Challenges faced by Grandparent-headed households:
Economic strains
Health and mental health concerns for grandparents and grandchildren
School enrollment difficulties for children
Isolation from peers for grandparents
Growing state reliance on grandparent-headed households.
5. More children are living with grandparents Percent of grandchildren living in grandparents’ home:
year percent(total) percent(no parents)
1970 3.2 % 1.4 %
1980 3.6 1.6
1992 4.9 1.3
1997 5.5 1.8
Source: US Census Bureau
6. Race differences in living with grandparents Percent of grandchildren living in grandparents’ home (1997):
race/ethnicity percent(total)
nh white 4.1 %
nh black 13.5
hispanic 6.5
Source: Lugaila 1998, Minkler 1999.
7. Distribution of families with coresident grandparents and grandchildren Type Number (1997)
parent-maintained families 1,540,000
both grandparents 16 %
grandmother only, both parents 41 %
grandmother only, one parent 26 %
grandfather only 17 %
grandparent-maintained families 3,890,000
both grandparents, some parents 32 %
both grandparents, no parent 15 %
grandmother only, some parents 29 %
grandmother only, no parent 17 %
grandfather only 6 %
8. More on grandparent-maintained families (1997) Total number 3,890,000
Number of earners in household
0 14 %
1 27 %
2 28 %
3+ 30 %
Indicators of poverty (general population)
no health insurance 33 % 15 %
family income below poverty 27 % 21 %
receiving public assistance 56 % 36 %
9. Variation in grandparent-maintained families Grandparent-maintained families with both grandparents and some parents tend to do fairly well.
low poverty rates
high proportions with three earners (59 %)
still, above average proportions with public assistance and no health care.
Families with grandmother and no parent have the most difficulties
63 % in poverty
84 % on public assistance
10. Possible explanations for increases in grandparent-grandchild coresidence
1.) Societal changes
Declining mortality (in the long term)
High divorce rates and rates of nonmarital childbearing.
Persistent teen fertility rates
drug abuse: incapacitation, incarceration, HIV/AIDS. (When mothers are incarcerated, 51% of children live with grandparents)
11. Possible explanations for increases in grandparent-grandchild coresidence
2.) Changes in child welfare policy.
More placement of foster children with relatives
More reimbursement of foster care payments to relatives (Miller vs Youakim, 1979)
More changes as a result of 1996 welfare reform: the federal government no longer guarantees support to low income children and their caretakers, but does require mothers to work. (This is a complicated issue, and researchers are studying how TANF affects living arrangements)
12. Possible questions for final exam
1.) Identify three challenges faced by grandparent-headed households.
2.) Describe racial and ethnic differences in percentages of children living with grandparents, and in the types of grandparent-maintained families.
3.) Describe variation in the economic well-being of grandparent-maintained families.
4.) Why are more grandchildren living with grandparents?