Co-resident Grandparents and Grandchildren’s Academic Performance in Taiwan

Abstract

Using the Taiwanese panel survey data, we investigate the consequences of children's co-residence with grandparents, and we find a positive effect on academic achievement. Further analysis reveals different types of effects among the various types of grandparent-grandchild co-residence. While long-term co-residence confers the most educational benefits, a recent transition into co-residence confers no such advantage. Compared to other co-resident situations, children who recently transition out of co-residence with grandparents are the most disadvantaged. Furthermore, we find educational benefits of co-resident grandparents in both single-parent and two-parent families, but long-term co-resident grandparents' positive association with grandchildren's academic achievement is the most pronounced in households where both parents are absent. We interpret these finding using a theoretical framework, and discuss their implications for policy and for other research.