US: New Beginnings For Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Grand Magazine – April 08, 2024
Regardless of the grandparent’s age or how long they end up caring for the child when their grandbabies come into their care full-time, it is often unexpected and overwhelming. New Beginnings! To many this phrase resonates as a time for fresh starts, new year’s resolutions, or perhaps even a planned career change. But across the U.S. millions of grandparents have faced a different kind of new beginning, when they unexpectedly stepped up to raise their grandchildren. A new report from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that in 2021, 3.3 percent of adults aged 30 and over lived with their grandchildren. While the ages of these grandparents vary greatly, the population is getting older on the whole and grandparents are raising their children for longer periods of time. In 2021, 60.1 percent were 60 and over (an increase from 46.8 percent in 2012). Grandparents were more likely to be responsible for their grandchildren for 5 years or longer in 2021 compared to 2012. Regardless of the grandparent’s age or how long they end up caring for the child when their grandbabies come into their care full-time, it is often unexpected and overwhelming.