Grandparents resuming the role of parents of young children is a growing phenomenon today, with grandparents raising their grandchildren in the absence of the biological parents. Although many grandparents have always informally cared for their grandchildren, the number of grandparents as primary caregivers has increased. Since 1970, the number of grandparents raising their grandchildren has almost doubled. In the 1990s, ôthe number of grandparent maintained households increased by 19 percent from 2,051,000 in 1990 to 2,444,000 in 1997ö (Bryson & Casper 1). The 2000 U.S. Census reported that there are more than 6 million children in the United States who live in grandparent, and other relative, maintained households. About 2.4 million grandparent caregivers are responsible for meeting their grandchildrenÆs basic needs. The March 2000 Current Population Survey revealed that about 4.5 million children under the age of 18 live in grandparent-maintained households, an increase of more than 50% since 1990. The majority of grandparents care for their grandchildren for more than a year, with 33 percent caring for them five or more years; for some grandparents their new role is a permanent one (Generations United). During the last decade of the 20th Century, ôchild welfare agencies have become increasingly reliant on relatives as the first option when a foster care placement is neededö (The State of AmericaÆs Children Yearbook). While grandparents acting as primary caregivers keep their grandchildren out of the formal foster care system, it also creates a myriad of problems ranging from health to housing to mental strain and lack of adequate funds (Generations United). In all cases, grandparents find themselves faced with unexpected responsibilities. This paper will address the issues involved in grandparents assuming the role of parents so late in their lives from the perspectives of aging and sociological factors.
According to t...