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Many grandparents are raising their grandchildren these days.
Some of you may have formally adopted your grandchild, some are going through the kinship care program of the foster care system, other might have your grandchildren living with you as your children work out their lives.
Heck, maybe it’s always been that way, I don’t know. but the stats are being collected and it’s a growing phenomenon….
At least there are lots of resources available to you, the ‘Grand’ mom and dad.
Here’s a quote from the National Center of Grandparents raising Grandchildren:
This site is full of stats, resources, grants, and events. Check it out!
Today, approximately 4 million children live with their grandparents. Further, the literature on this phenomenon suggests that there are probably many more children in informal care arrangements residing with their grandparents than the data can capture. According to U.S. census data, grandparents raise 6% of our nation’s children. That’s a lot of children, 4.5 million to be exact, and the number is growing rapidly…….
……….For the grandparents, the full-time care of their grandchildren is sometimes a surprise; and almost always a return to responsibilities that they had thought were long past. Some grandparents are in their thirties or forties, but many are old enough to collect Social Security, and they have their share of aches and pains, as well as plans that usually have not included taking on childrearing again.
Some of us adoptive moms have gone in to childrearing with our eyes open – bright eyed and bushy tailed, but some of you out there may have been put in a situation of raising children when you were ready to join Sandra out on the beach!
If you’ve gotten the child through DHS or the social services, to stop the child from going into foster care, fight for your rights to get subsidies, health care, and mental health therapy for you and your family.
I’d love to know if any of our readers are in this category…?
Comment below if you are!
I am retired and in my 50’s. I got my grandchild just before DFCS was called in, so all I am eligible for is the child care credit. I can put him on my insurance, but that means family plan premiums which are more expensive than individual.
No, I did not plan to spend my retirement as a mother, but having him go into the foster care system was unthinkable. Birthmom and birthdad have had over two years to get their act together and haven’t made a start, so formal adoption will be next, to safeguard his future.
MamaS – Can you somehow petition DHS for kinship care benifits? Let us know if/when adoption happens!
My husband and I are in our 50’s, both with satisfying and demanding careers. When our single daughter told us that she was pregnant, we were stunned and disappointed because she had 2 more years of college. We decided on a guardianship, kinship relationship to keep our family intact. We were afraid that the guardianship would undermine her authority as a parent, but we had no choice as it was the only way that we could get health insurance for our grandson.
Our daughter is a wonderful mom with no chemical dependencies (won’t even take a tylenol) – so far so good. She lives with us and works part-time and takes 2 classes a semester. We have LOTS of babysitting duty and just love being able to see our grandson almost every day.
With only 2 children, we realized that this baby could be our ONLY grandchild. We would have stepped in if necessary to parent in a heartbeat. We have friends who are in the same situation with their son and his child.
Happy G’Ma