GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024 - 26
grandfamilies
New beginnings for grandparents
raising grandchildren
R
BY JAIA LENT, VICTORIA GRAY, LAURIE TAPOZADA, AND BERNADINE ATCHINSON
egardless 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.
At Generations United's National Center on Grandfamilies, we advocate for and alongside
these grandparent-headed families and work to help improve policies and programs that
serve them. Routinely we hear from grandparents that they didn't know where to turn when
they stepped into their new beginning raising their grandchildren full-time. Grandfamilies
report some of the best help they receive starting outcomes from other caregivers who have
been there. With that in mind, we asked three grandparents raising grandchildren to write
a letter to their fellow grandparents who have just begun their full-time caregiving journey.
I extend my appreciation to Victoria, Bernadine, and Laurie for generously sharing your tips,
wisdom, and encouragement:
26 GRAND SPRING 2024
Continued on next page
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https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p20-588.pdf
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024
Contents
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024 - Cover1
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024 - 2
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024 - 3
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024 - Contents
GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024 - 5
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