Parental Divorce,Residence Arrangements,and Contact Between Grandchildren and Grandparents

When parents divorce, grandparents can play a supportive role in the lives of their grandchildren, but a parental divorce may also put grandchild–grandparent ties under pressure. In this study the authors investigated how grandchildren of married and divorced parents differ in the frequency of face‐to‐face contacts with grandparents and how this is mediated by postdivorce residence arrangements. Based on the multi‐actor survey “Divorce in Flanders,” they used reports of contact provided by more than 1,000 grandchildren and compared them with more than 1,100 grandparent reports for validation. The results showed that grandchildren from divorced parents have fewer contacts with their grandparents than grandchildren whose parents are married but that it is the postdivorce residence arrangement of grandchildren that produces this result. When grandchildren live with their divorced father or in a shared residence arrangement, they even see paternal grandparents more often than grandchildren with married parents.     

Adolescents in Foster Care with Their Grandparents

ABSTRACT

The aim of this research was to analyse the relationships between foster grandparents and their adolescent grandchildren. The sample consisted of 54 grandparents from Malaga (Spain), with a mean age of 65.9 for grandfathers and 63.6 for grandmothers, who foster 70 adolescents, 31 boys and 39 girls, with ages ranging between 11 and 17. The majority of the grandfathers were retired, while the grandmothers worked at home. The grandparents presented a low level of education and scant economic resources. The results indicated that the relationship between the grandparents and grandchildren was mainly perceived as good or very good. The grandparents perceived that grandchildren maintained a better relationship with their grandmothers, whom they trusted more and to whom they disclosed more, than with their grandfathers. The grandparents recognised that their relationship with their grandchildren was perceived more as parent-child than grandparent-grandchild. The grandparents were more affectionate and communicative with their grandchildren than critical or rejecting. They also used more inductive styles than rigid or indulgent forms when applying rules.     

An Intergenerational Perspective on Grandparent Roles

Abstract

This study provides an intergenerational perspective on grandparent roles. Data was collected from young parents (N = 105) and middle-age and older adults (N = 105). Both groups identified multiple roles as important for grandparents to initiate with young grandchildren: these included being a playmate as well as a friend, teacher, and role model. Intergenerational differences were also found with middle-age and older adults more likely than young parents to rank religious guide (p < .001) and family historian (p < .05) as important roles to enact with young grandchildren. However, the young parents were more likely than the older participants to predict that grandparents would be remembered by their grandchildren as fun, having high values, being a role model, and financially supportive (p < .001). Recommendations for future intergenerational research are recommended.     

Grandparent Carers,Child Protection Practice,and the Best Interests of Children: A Case Study

Increasingly, grandparents are involved in the care of grandchildren, particularly after child safety concerns. Some grandparents, because of changed circumstances, relationships, or decisions made, can experience reduced or lost contact with grandchildren. A recent qualitative, collaborative study explored how relationships between grandparents and their grandchildren could be optimised after child safety concerns. Many grandparents in that study spoke of the frustration of being overlooked in decision-making about their grandchildren, even when they had been providing primary care for the grandchildren. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief background study context, before presenting a case study of one family's ongoing struggles to maintain the children in the grandparents’ care. The presented case study has relevance for social work education and training and more widely, for all students and practitioners in the child protection field.     

The experiences of grandparents who have limited or no contact with their grandchildren

Purpose of the studyThe matrilineal advantage theory suggests that paternal grandparents are more at risk of having little or no contact with their grandchildren. However, there is significant family diversity within Australia and we wished to understand the experiences of a wide range of grandparents in order to determine if the matrilineal theory can be effectively used in practice to identify those grandparents most at risk for estrangement.Design and methodsA convenience group of grandparents with little or no contact with grandchildren (n = 38) told their stories in their own words using narratives obtained through interview or writing.Results and implicationsWe found that paternal grandparents, as per the matrilineal advantage theory, were more likely to be estranged from their grandchildren when their son divorced, particularly when he was not the resident parent or when he re-partnered. However, in contrast, we found that maternal grandparents who experienced conflict in their relationship with their daughter were also at risk for estrangement. This occurred even when grandparents had previously been highly involved in the lives of their grandchildren. Some estrangements appeared to result from a cultural bias towards the nuclear family form. We argue that practitioners need not only to expand their understanding of the risk categories for estrangement, they also need to actively support parents and grandparents in creating and maintaining wider family support networks in order to improve family resilience.     

Experiences of Grandparenting Disabled Children in the UK: A Qualitative Study of Intergenerational Relationships

Contemporary patterns of family, work, and welfare make the experience of grandparenting complex and diverse. This UK-based qualitative study aimed to explore grandparenting in the context of childhood disability. Nine grandparents (aged 59–79 years) with disabled and non-disabled grandchildren took part in semi-structured interviews. Grandparents provided extensive instrumental and emotional care and support and sought a balance between involvement versus interfering. Grandparents actively drew on life experiences to engage with services to maximize support. Contemplating the future, grandparents had concerns for adult children as well as grandchildren. Developing policies to support grandparents of disabled grandchildren are urgently required.     

Missing Grandchildren: Grandparents’ Lost Contact and Implications for Social Work

The critical importance of maintaining family contact and intergenerational relationships for ongoing wellbeing is known to social work. Equally known is the damage caused by severed relationships. Recent literature has suggested an increased incidence of grandparents raising their grandchildren, often after family breakdown. Less evident in the literature is grandparents’ experience of reduced, lost, or denied contact with their grandchildren. In the qualitative, exploratory study reported here, the lived experiences of 21 Queensland grandparents were documented through in-depth interviews. The overall findings suggest that disrupted, lost, or denied contact with grandchildren was very distressing and impacted on grandparents’ health; that seeking to safeguard and support grandchildren could result in damaged family relationships and denied contact; and that a cycle of lost and regained contact can occur in some circumstances. These findings indicate that an increased role for social workers may be warranted, in listening to and including grandparents when working with families, and recognising grandparents’ need for support.     

Intergenerational Ties in Context: Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren in China

Guided by theories and empirical research on intergenerational relationships, we examine the phenomenon of grandparents caring for grandchildren in contemporary China. Using a longitudinal dataset (China Health and Nutrition Survey), we document a high level of structural and functional solidarity in grandparent-grandchildren relationships. Intergenerational solidarity is indicated by a high rate of coresidence between grandchildren and grandparents, a sizable number of skipped-generation households (no parent present), extensive childcare involvement by non-coresidential grandparents, and a large amount of care provided by coresidential grandparents. Multivariate analysis further suggests that grandparents' childcare load is adaptive to familial needs, as reflected by the characteristics of the household, household members, and work activities of the mothers.     

Affectionate Communication Is Associated With Emotional and Relational Resources in the Grandparent-Grandchild Relationship

Grounded in affection exchange theory (AET; Floyd, 2006), this study examined the extent to which affection received from grandparents is associated with grandchildren’s perceptions of their grandparents and their grandparent-grandchild relationship (in the form of emotional closeness, shared family identity, and perceived availability of social support). Young adult grandchildren (N = 171) completed several instruments in reference to their relationship with a specific grandparent. The results of multiple regression analyses generally supported the hypotheses that received affection is associated positively with grandchildren’s perceptions of their grandparents and their grandparent-grandchild relationship. These findings support AET’s utility in the grandparent-grandchild relationship and the notion that grandparents often influence their grandchildren’s perceptions of their family.     

Grandparent-Headed Families in the United States

Abstract

Grandparents are returning to the role of parents in ever-increasing numbers. Custodial grandparents often find themselves isolated from sources of support as they face unique emotional, physical, and financial challenges on a daily basis. Nearly half are grandparents without partners and the majority are caring for two or more young children. Children in the care of grandparents are more likely to experience cognitive, emotional, and physical challenges. Their early traumatic experiences may lead to difficulties in communication and forming attachments.

The Parent Topics Questionnaire is a standardized assessment measure designed to provide parent education group facilitators with specific information about needs, desires, and expectations of participants. Administration of this instrument to four parent groups revealed a high readiness for information among the custodial grandparent population. Based on information obtained from this measure, a holistic program was developed which simultaneously provided services to care-giving grandparents, their young grandchildren, and educational professionals.

Grandparent and grandchildren's groups met weekly and emphasized topics and activities aimed at meeting common needs within these populations. Educational professionals participated in a series of inservice meetings aimed at increasing awareness of needs and strengths of grandparent-headed families, modifying curriculum to more effectively meet grandchildren's needs, and enhancing knowledge of existing resources. Pre- and post-test analysis demonstrate significant positive effects for all involved populations. Grandparents were found to increase in parenting knowledge, perceived levels of social support, willingness to utilize existing resources, and enjoyment of time with their grandchildren. Levels of isolation and perceived depression were decreased. Participating grandchildren demonstrated increased abilities to interact effectively with peers and adults and perceived their interactions with grandparents more positively. Educational professionals reported feeling more informed about custodial grandparent family issues, more confident about interacting with grandparents, and more knowledgeable about existing resources.     

Custodial Grandparents' Perceived Control over Caregiving Outcomes

Abstract

In this study, we explored the nature of the relationship between custodial grandparents' perception of control over caregiving outcomes and their discipline behavior with grandchildren. Perceived control moderated the relationship between frequency of difficult child behaviors and grandparents' use of strict disciplinary practices. However, unexpectedly, a high frequency of difficult grandchild behavior was associated with greater use of strict, even harsh, discipline among grandparents with highrather than low perceived control. This pattern was evidenced across the total sample; however, it was especially pronounced in African-American grandparent families. Among custodial grandparents, especially among African-American grandparents, it is possible that both nurturing and aggravation are intensified by the reparenting experience. Between-group differences may reflect the fact that grandparents embedded in different cultures have differing beliefs about how to socialize their grandchildren.     

Who will care for the grandparents? Exploring relationships between grandparents and grandchildren

Adult children are often identified as primary caregivers for their older adult parents; however, in a growing number of cases, the adult child does not become the caregiver. Evidence of this includes the growing social phenomenon of grandparents raising their grandchildren. In this qualitative research project, the long-term caregiving relationship between grandparents and grandchildren living in grandparent-headed households was explored through interviews with three grandparent-grandchild dyads. The ongoing relationship in the dyads did not seem to mimic a parent-child relationship or a grandparent-grandchild relationship, but instead a third kind of relationship that requires further exploration.     

Generations Linked: A Case Example of Māori Grandparents

This article offers an analysis of the significance of intergenerational living patterns and relationships as the mechanisms by which Pacific grandparents preserve and transmit indigenous cultural values, beliefs, and practices. A case example from a study conducted among Māori grandparents in Aotearoa, New Zealand, serves as the core focus of discussion. Seventeen grandparents were interviewed about their lived experiences in their multiple generation homes. Findings indicate that intergenerational life is a means for linking generations and transmission of indigenous culture to the next generation. Participants discussed their intergenerational relationship with much affection and love for their grandchildren and family. Discussion and implications for future research and practice are provided.     

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Formation,Disruption and Intergenerational Transmission of Attachment

Abstract

Nationally and internationally, grandparents support their children and grandchildren by caring for those children who may be at risk in their own home, often in the contemporary context for extended periods. Attachment theory provides a framework to consider how the lives of children, parents and grandparents are affected when grandchildren come to live with their grandparents, whether it be on a shared basis or as a long-term arrangement. The concept also provides a guide to supporting each generation in the contemporary context, as formal or informal arrangements.     

Grandparents as Caregivers: Emerging Issues for the Profession

Over the last two decades, the number of grandparents caring for their grandchildren has grown exponentially. The 2010 census revealed that 7.5 million children lived with a grandparent. This article is based on a study to find out from grandparents in the southwest region of the United States the circumstances that led to caring for their grandchild, needs and challenges in their role, and finally, to examine the level of stress they experience as a result of the parenting role. Based on the findings, recommendations related to social work practice and policy are provided. Additionally, the need to educate social workers in competency-based education is highlighted.     

The Changing Roles of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

The 2000 U.S. Census reported there were 158.9 million people ages 30 and older living in households in the United States, of whom 5.8 million (or 3.6%) were co-resident grandparents, defined as living with grandchildren younger than 18. Among these findings, 2.4 million (42%) were also grandparent caregivers. It is estimated that 1 in 10 grandparents will be the primary caregiver for at least 6 months for a grandchild before the child's eighteenth birthday. This article will discuss some of the challenges and hardships that these grandparents are faced with while raising their grandchildren. In addition, some attention to practice and policy are looked at to provide assistance to grandparents and kinship that may be raising relatives. There will be financial burden, worry, health issues, and freedom restrictions for this population. Many of these families may not be aware of programs, services, and resources that are available to them.     

“How Can You Retire When You Still Got a Kid in School?”: Economics of Raising Grandchildren in Rural Areas

Increasingly, grandparents are being called on to rear their grandchildren when parents are unable or unwilling to fulfill their parenting role. These grandparent caregivers often find themselves in an economic bind. Financially, most are at a stage in life where they are looking toward retirement and reduced family spending and are unprepared for their new economic reality as second-time-around caregivers. Here, we use a framework of family financial well-being to examine the economic consequences of rearing grandchildren. Based on family life interviews with 26 grandfamilies residing in Montana, we explore the challenges grandparents experience generating and shifting income streams in later life, the variability in received income, and the array of expected and unexpected expenses incurred as a result of taking in their grandchildren. As custodial grandparents strive for financial well-being, there are few resources—especially in rural areas—to help them navigate these new financial waters.     

The health effects of caregiving by grandparents in Taiwan: an instrumental variable estimation

Previous research on the health effects of caring for grandchildren has had variable findings, including both positive and negative effects on the health of grandparents. The estimated effects of caregiving may be affected by selection, with the health of grandparent affecting the likelihood of undertaking caregiving. The health effects of caregiving also likely differ according to the cultural motivations for caregiving by grandparents. This paper assesses whether selection into caring for grandchildren affects the estimated effects of caregiving on the health of Taiwanese grandparents. We used four waves (1993?C2003) of the Survey of Health and Living Status of the Elderly in Taiwan to estimate the effect of grandparent caregiving on self-rated health, mobility, and depression. To control for unobserved selection into caregiving, we employed time-varying instrumental variables (the number of grandchildren and marital status of adult children) in addition to person fixed effects. After adjusting for baseline differences, caregivers had better self-rated health, fewer mobility limitations, and fewer depressive symptoms compared to the non-caregivers, which suggest evidence of health improvement for grandparents. Instrumental variable analysis showed that caring for grandchildren was endogenously determined with grandparents?? mobility limitations, and grandparent caregivers benefited from a significant reduction in the number of mobility limitations. Our finding suggests that caring for grandchildren can be beneficial for the health of Taiwanese grandparents and supports our hypothesis that a culturally expected role of caregiving results in role enhancement.     

Golden Years? The Labor Market Effects of Caring for Grandchildren

The number of Americans raising grandchildren has been rising steadily. In this article, we expand what is known by focusing on the economic implications of this trend. We compile a unique data set from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics along with its Parent Identification File on 3,240 nonretired grandparent household heads and estimate the effect of taking in a grandchild on labor force participation and hours worked. We estimate models that distinguish between grandparents living alone from those only with grandchildren (skipped‐generation households) and those also with their own children (3‐generation households). We find that caring for grandchildren increases labor force attachment, with grandfathers more likely to work and grandmothers working longer, if another adult is available to supervise the grandchildren.     

Family Contingencies Across the Generations: Grandparent‐Grandchild Relationships in Holistic Perspective

Family relationships do not occur in isolation but rather are embedded within greater systems of family ties. In recognition of the need to study families holistically, we explore how relations between grandparents and grandchildren are contingent upon a matrix of intergenerational relationships. Using data from the Iowa Youth and Families Project, our analyses focus on person‐centered types of grandparent‐grandchild relationships and the legacy of social ties across the generations, as mediated by other family relationships. We find multiple dimensions of grandparents' involvement with their grandchildren to be associated with (a) whether the grandparents knew their own grandparents when they were young, (b) the grandparent's perceptions of contact and closeness with the target grandchild, and (c) nuances in the relationships of grandparents with the parent generation.