The study compares the experiences of two groups of grandparents, one with a typically developing (TD) grandchild and one with a grandchild with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The extent and the kind of grandparents' involvement, the quality of their relationship and the factors that could contribute to the quality were…

We know little about custodial grandparents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who offer a vital social safety net. 117 custodial grandparents of children with ASD from 37 states completed an online survey with open-ended questions about their "greatest challenges and joys" as grandparent. Grounded theory analysis revealed…

Grand motherhood is in some sense a universal role but its meaning varies greatly across countries and cultures: for instance, in terms of how grandmothers are involved in their grandchildren's lives. Therefore, this study examines 40 women's experiences of caring for their grandchildren in Turkey. Data were collected through a semi-structured…

Increasing numbers of children in the U.S. are living with their grandparents, many of whom are responsible for their grandchildren's care. In fact, the number of children living in a grandparent's household rose from 4.6 million in 2005-07, to 5.2 million in 2008-10. Grandparents may be called upon, often with little preparation, to provide…

In recent years, increasing numbers of grandparents in the U.S. are living with their grandchildren, and many grandparents are responsible for their care. These trends can be attributed to a number of factors, including increasing numbers of single-parent families, continued high rates of marriage dissolution, parents' incarceration, parental…

Guided by theories and empirical research on intergenerational relationships, we examine the phenomenon of grandparents caring for grandchildren in contemporary China. Using a longitudinal dataset (China Health and Nutrition Survey), we document a high level of structural and functional solidarity in grandparent-grandchildren relationships.…

Recent demographic trends suggest that grandparents may play influential roles in the lives of their grandchildren. Despite this, the role of grandparents in the lives of youth remains an understudied topic. Using data from a nationally representative group of youth aged 14 to 19 years from the 1992 Wave 2 National Survey of Families and…

Barbara T. Bowman, MA, the Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Development at Erikson Institute, discusses the important roles that grandparents play in the lives of their grandchildren. Dr. Bowman offers suggestion for how to approach the grandparenting role, including setting boundaries, maintaining open communication, and valuing the…

This article discusses the application of a community mobilization model through a case study of one community's response to address the needs of grandparents raising grandchildren. The community mobilization model presented is one that is replicable in addressing diverse community identified issues. Discussed is the building of the partnerships,…

This study examines transitions in grandchild care and the characteristics of grandparents making these transitions, using longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample of 13,626 grandparents in the 1998-2008 Health and Retirement Study. More than 60% of grandparents provided grandchild care over the 10-year period; more than 70% of…

In this study, based on Family Interactional Theory (FIT), the authors tested a longitudinal model of the intergenerational effects of the grandmothers' parent-child relationships and the grandparents' smoking on the grandchildren's externalizing behavior via parents' psychological symptoms, tobacco use, and child rearing. Using Mplus, the authors…

This study examined how adolescents raised solely by grandparents navigated their relationships with their parents and grandparents and how these relationships were influenced by the caregiving context. Forty-one adolescents participated in qualitative, semistructured interviews. Findings suggest that relationships with parents were primarily…

This study examines the associations between grandchildren's (N = 1,170) adult role transitions and their contact with, and closeness to, grandparents, by drawing on data from Waves 2 and 3 of the National Survey of Families and Households. Findings indicate that this relationship is frequently contingent on the nature of the adult role in…

An adaptation of the Family Stress Model was examined using structural equation modeling with data from 193 custodial grandmother-grandfather dyads. The model's measurement and structural components were largely invariant by grandparent gender. For grandmothers and grandfathers alike, the effects of their psychological and marital distress on…

In May 2009, the MetLife Mature Market Institute conducted a nationwide survey of grandparents age 45 and older with grandchildren under the age of 25. This survey examined their attitudes and behaviors toward providing financial assistance and advice to their grandchildren and what effect the current economy is having on the assistance they are…