Grandparent-headed Families Research Articles

Working With Grandparent-Headed Families in Schools: School Professionals' Perspectives

ABSTRACTThis qualitative study explores the experiences of school professionals working with grandparent-headed families. Twenty individual interviews with an array of professional school staff were conducted. Thematic analysis was utilized, and 3 key themes emerged: (a) compassion for grandparent-headed families' unique challenges; (b) lack of adequate knowledge about grandparent-headed families; and (c) strategies for engaging grandparents raising their grandchildren. Implications address the importance of understanding the unique needs of grandparent-headed families and ways to maximize the success of these marginalized families through active family engagement and school-linked services.

Child poverty and its impacts on social exclusion in Taiwan

ABSTRACTThis study employs indicators of child poverty and social exclusion to examine the relationships between the risk of children falling into poverty and their chances of being socially excluded in Taiwan. This study defines ‘children in poverty’ as those in a household deprived of 60% of an equivalent median income. The dimensions of child social exclusion include necessities, health, leisure activities, local services, neighbourhood problems, and care. This study analyses the data of the ‘2012 Child Welfare and Needs Survey of Taichung City’, with a sample of 604 children randomly selected from the population under 18 years of age in Taichung City. It is found that 27% of the children are in income poverty; female, disabled, children in single-parent or grandparent-headed families, and children of rural areas have higher poverty rates. As for poor–non-poor children comparisons, children in poverty are significantly more likely to be deprived of common necessities, access to Internet, leisure activities, a variety of local services, a safe neighbourhood, and care for children. These findings suggest that material deprivation (poverty) has multiple impacts on facets of the child’s social life and his or her living standards. To promote children’s participation in society, raising them out of poverty is the most important task.

저소득층 조손가정 대상의 에듀케어 프로그램에 대한 질적 연구

The purpose of this study is to investigate the daily life of low-income grandparent-headed families and identify the effects of the Edu-Care program. To this end, the researcher conducted focus group interviews with ten grandparents and ten grandchildren who participated in the adjustment program, which was implemented for about five months. After participating in the program, the grandparents perceived that their skills for educating and raising children were improved and that they experienced psychological stability. Meanwhile, the grandchildren perceived that their learning competency and motivation for learning were enhanced and recognized why learning is necessary for their career. It was also found that the conditions and experiences needed for low-income grandparent-headed families are an integrative support program, a differentiated curriculum, and aid and care provided by human resources.

Meeting the Unique Needs of Grandparent-Headed Families Using a Community-University Interdisciplinary Model

An interdisciplinary initiative engaging graduate students and faculty from education, social work, and physics was developed to address the unique needs of grandparent-headed families. The goal of this qualitative study was to deepen the current knowledge base about the challenges and benefits of using an interdisciplinary, collaborative community-university model to meet the unique needs of grandparent-headed families. Findings are discussed in terms of literature relevant to advancing grandparent-headed families’ educational progress and health with an emphasis on the interprofessional collaborative process.

Grandparent-Headed Families’ Influence on the Academic Performance of Secondary School Learners

This exploratory study investigated the influence of grandparent-headed families on the academic performance of secondary school learners. Using semi-structured open-ended interviews, the study was conducted in five secondary schools in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The findings reveal that learners who live in a grandparent-headed household face challenges which may hamper their academic achievement. Accordingly, this study argues that the grandparent-headed family is a very important family unit – one that needs to be supported in order to function well. Proper backing enables such families to provide better parental support and guidance and helps affected learners to achieve well academically. The study also recommends intervention strategies to help both grandparents and learners in grandparent-headed families to cope with the situation in which they find themselves. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n14p429

Information Provision to Grandparent Kinship Carers: Responding to Their Unique Needs

Grandparent kinship care is a growing policy concern in Australia. Availability of appropriate, timely, and up-to-date information on payments and allowances, support services, and children's needs, is an important factor in determining whether grandparent carers, and the children in their care, receive the support they need. While it is known that custodial grandparents in Australia have trouble gaining access to information and support, relatively little attention has been paid to the causes of this difficulty. Drawing from interviews with 55 service providers and policy makers from New South Wales, South Australia, and the Northern Territory, this article identifies two salient issues: the characteristics of this group, which results in special communication and information needs; and the difficulties grandparent-headed families face due to their unique relationship to the state.

사회적 지지가 농촌 조손가족 조모의 심리적 복지에 미치는 영향

Family dissolution and economic difficulties of the grandchild's parents are the most prevailing reason for an increase of grandparent-headed families in rural Korea. However, there is a lack of empirical research looking at the experiences of custodial grandmothers, social support, and their psychological well-being. In this regard, this study examined the effect of social support (formal & informal) on the psychological well-being of custodial grandmothers in rural Korea. For this purpose, quantitative and qualitative research methods were conducted. Quantitative data were gathered, using structured questionnaire, from 311 grandmothers who were raising their grandchildren in rural Korea as primary care-givers. Statistical methods used for data analysis were descriptive statistics and hierarchical regression analysis with SPSS WIN 19.0 programs. Qualitative data were collected by in-depth interviews to 10 custodial grandmothers in rural area. The results of this study are as follows. First, almost half of the parents of the grandchild didn't visit and didn't call anymore. Some relatives -aunt, uncle, etc.- support the grandparent-headed family economically and emotionally. 3/4 of the grandparent-headed families were supported by the government and community. This was not small numbers, but the amount of economic support was low. Second, grandmothers in the study showed quite a high level of depression while their happiness level was relatively low. There were differences in the factors influencing the level of happiness/depression of these rural grandmothers. Overall, the study's results showed the importance of formal & informal support for psychological well-being of the custodial grandmothers in rural Korea. Policy and theoretical implications are discussed.

Culture and Familism: An Exploratory Case Study of a Grandparent-Headed Household

Increasingly, grandparents provide primary care for their grandchildren, but minimal research exists focusing on Asian and Pacific American grandparent caregivers. Using the conceptual framework of familism, this case study explores the context of a Korean American, interracial, two-grandparent household (age 72 and 73) raising their 12-year-old grandson. The interview of this family was analyzed using coding, memoing, and comparative analysis techniques often used in case study analysis. Three themes related to familism emerged: staying connected, maintaining cultures, and clashing cultures. Inclusion of these concepts may be appropriate for service providers in assessing grandparent-headed families and identifying cultural strengths and appropriate interventions.

Resilience of Children Raised in Grandparent-Headed Families

Resilience of Children Raised in Grandparent-Headed Families

African American Grandchildren Raised in Grandparent-Headed Families: An Exploratory Study

There has been an increase in grandparents raising their grandchildren due to parental absence. This family structure has affected urban, single, low-income African Americans at a higher rate than any other racial group. Research on grandchildren reared in grandparent-headed families (GHF) states these children are at risk of significant emotional, behavioral, physical problems, and learning disabilities than children living with their biological parents. This exploratory study involved qualitative individual interviews with 14 African American grandchildren ages 10–16 and their 6 grandparent caregivers. Results indicated that although the majority of the grandchildren were content living with their grandparents, they experienced adjustment issues related to their histories of family disruption and parental loss. Family factors that might affect grandchildren’s adjustment to living in a GHF are discussed, as well as implications for counselors and recommendations for future research with grandchildren from GHF.

Family structure and child outcomes: a high definition, wide angle “snapshot”

Using data from the National Survey of America’s Families (NSAF), this research investigates the relationships between a highly defined set of family structures and a broad set of child outcomes at a particular point in time in a child’s life. A detailed classification of family structures is constructed that clarifies key differences among various types of diverse families, and facilitates equivalencies testing and pairwise comparisons across nontraditional family structures. The NSAF contains a large number of observations for less common, but growing, family structures such as single-father families, grandparent-headed households and cohabiters, which makes such detailed analyses feasible and allows further stratification by child age, gender and race. The data also contains information on child behavioral, educational and physical health outcomes, as well as extensive household characteristics, economic resources and parental behaviors and inputs. Results suggest that differences across nontraditional family structures are particularly prominent for child health outcomes and that the gender of the resident parent is empirically important, more so than the presence of a cohabiting or married step-parent. Children in single father families have lesser access to health care yet enjoy better health outcomes than those in other families, even after controlling for economic resources (and inputs). In contrast, few differences are found between grandparent-headed families and other non-parent families. While we explore alternative explanations for these results, our cross-sectional data and complex set of family structure variables preclude isolating causal relationships; instead, our analyses yield empirically important distinctions that point to promising avenues for future research.

The Experiences of African American Grandmothers in Grandparent-Headed Families

Grandparents raising their grandchildren in parent-absent homes are an increasing family structure. A myriad of family and societal problems create the need for the grandparent to assume caregiving responsibilities, including child maltreatment, parental substance abuse, and poverty. Although grandparent-headed families (GHF) are represented across racial, gender, and socioeconomic groups, single, low-income African American grandmothers from urban environments experience this family structure in disproportionately higher rates. Due to their higher prevalence, and the relative lack of attention in the existing literature, African American grandmother caregivers are the focus of this research. The present study is an exploratory study of the qualitative experiences of African American grandmothers who are the primary caregivers of their grandchildren. Individual interviews were conducted with 6 grandmother caregivers, revealing 5 major themes. Results are discussed, and directions for future research and implications for counselors working with GHF are presented.

African American Grandparent Caregivers: Stresses and Implications for Counselors

Many grandparents today have the responsibility of caring for their grandchildren. Although caregiving grandparents come from all racial groups and social classes, single African American grandparents from urban, low-income households are represented at a higher rate than any other racial or ethnic group. As the number of grandparent-headed households continues to increase in society, so do their stressors, and the need to understand these families' experiences becomes more significant. The purpose of this article is to explore the experiences and stresses affecting African American grandparents who are the primary caregivers of their grandchildren. First, a general description of grandparent-headed families (GHF) is presented, followed by a brief history and discussion of the factors leading to GHF. Current research in the kinship care literature on GHF is reviewed. In conclusion, the author discusses research and clinical implications for family counselors working with these families.

Grandparent-Headed Families: Needs and Implications for Social Work Interventions and Advocacy

As the growth of grandparent-headed families continues, increasing numbers of social workers will find themselves dealing with the multitude of issues that these families face. Understanding the needs and concerns of these families is critical for the development of appropriate interventions, which include counseling, support groups, working with schools, and case management. This article discusses specific interventions social workers can use in working with these families. In addition, because their needs and problems are often systemic and not the result of any individual pathology, it stresses (a) the importance of working with grandparents to help them become self-advocates and (b) the role of social workers in changing unresponsive and insensitive policies and systems.

Family Dynamics in Three-Generation Grandfamilies

Grandparent-headed families, called grandfamilies, are increasingly important in assisting adult children and grandchildren. This study ( N = 376) provides a qualitative analysis of statements made by grandmothers about relationships between three core family members: (a) grandmother, (b) parent, and (c) grandchild. These family members constitute an intergenerational triad, displaying a variety of relationship patterns based on emotional closeness or distance. The most common configuration in three-generation families was all-three inter-generational members emotionally close or connected, and comments about relationships reflected problem solving, communication, and emotional management. Families in which the parent was close to and linked both adjacent generations were also frequent, and comments showed a clear parenting hierarchy with grandmother as secondary. Few families had weak, disconnected relationships between all three triad members or an emotionally isolated parent: These patterns were related to low grandmother and grandchild well-being. Evaluating intergenerational relationships aids identification of at-risk grandfamilies and has implications for family interventions.

Custodial Grandparent Families: Steps for Developing Responsive Health Care Systems

Grandparent-headed families represent an ever-increasing population in our culture, necessitating that health care practitioners become more aware of the special needs of both caregiving grandparents and their grandchildren. The authors discuss concerns of custodial grandparents, grandparented children, and steps for developing responsive health care systems.

Intergenerational triads in grandparent-headed families.

Grandparents are becoming caregivers of their grandchildren more often as a result of their adult children's drug addiction, mental problems, and financial need. This study examined grandmothers' well-being in relation to bonding within intergenerational triads consisting of grandmother, parent, and grandchild. Interviews were conducted with 987 grandmothers recruited through schools and media, including 512 custodial grandmothers raising their grandchildren and 475 coparenting grandmothers helping their adult sons or daughters to raise their grandchildren. Contrary to expectation, triangulation involving a weak parent-grandmother relationship was not related to significantly lower grandmother well-being. In contrast, the emotionally isolated parent, particularly common in custodial families, was related to lower grandmother well-being, whether or not the parent lived in the household. The configuration in which the parent provided a link for both other generations was frequent in coparenting families, but it was not significantly different in grandmother well-being compared to other linking triads. Intergenerational triad types appear to be broadly relevant emotional configurations that transcend living situations but appear with different frequencies in custodial and coparenting families. Results affirm the utility of examining multirelationship patterns and describe the restructuring of intergenerational relationships characteristic of parental absence.

Grandparent-Headed Families in the United States

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.

GRANDPARENTS AS FAMILY CAREGIVERS: LESSONS FOR INTERGENERATIONAL EDUCATION

The number of grandparents who have responsibility for raising grandchildren has increased dramatically over the past several decades. From an educational perspective, content on custodial grandparents can promote an increased interest in, and understanding of the complexities of aging, by stressing the intergenerational aspects of this family form. This paper describes the growing population of custodial grandparents, and the larger socio-environmental contexts of these families. In addition, it highlights instructional approaches for including content on grandparent-headed families within didactic and experimental courses.

The Role of Federal Policies in Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Families

Grandparents caring for their grandchildren is among the oldest practices in child rearing with roots embedded in the traditions across many cultures. However, in recent years, the issue of “grandparents raising their grandchildren” has garnered the attention of researchers, advocates, service providers and even the popular press. Dynamic changes in family life, related social trends and child welfare policies in the United States have resulted in dramatic growth of intergenerational care giving among this population. The 2000 United States Census shows that there are 6 million children living in grandparent- and other relative-maintained households, which represents a thirty-percent increase from the last Census. This growth has created the need for effective federal policies that support and insure the well-being of these families. This paper examines some of the reasons grandparents raising grandchildren are capturing public attention, and the growing needs for effective federal policies that support this burgeoning population. We will (1) provide a brief demographic sketch of grandparent-headed families, (2) identify some of the challenges faced by these families, and (3) explore some of the most effective federal public policies, in particular the new National Family Caregiver Support Program, which are emerging from an intergenerational agenda directed at assisting these families. We conclude by noting that the issue of “grandparents raising their grandchildren” presents a unique opportunity to develop coalitions and policies that cross sometimes rigidly defined age-based policy structures.