We examined patterns and predictors of perceived need, use, and unmet need for mental health services by custodial grandchildren within the school-based and community-based delivery sectors. Data were from a national sample of 610 grandmothers caring for grandchildren ages 6 to 17 in the absence of biological parents. Overlapping use of services…

The purpose of this study was to understand the expression of generativity among grandparents and their adult grandchildren through their experiences of family leisure. Fourteen dyads of grandparents and adult grandchildren were interviewed about their experience of family leisure. The findings illustrate the important role that family leisure…

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 prospective, intergenerational study (N = 181) considered how parent (G1, Generation 1) and child (G2, Generation 2) relationship quality during adolescence and adulthood is associated with G1's level of involvement with their 3- to 4-year-old grandchildren (G3, Generation 3). Path model analyses indicated different patterns of results for…

On the basis of a qualitative study of 31 grandparents, this article highlights how separation in the middle generation can result in an erosion of trust and quality of paternal grandparent-grandchild relationships. Notwithstanding these changes, grandparents endeavor to support and remain involved in the lives of their grandchildren by, inter…

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…

Notes that every state has passed laws giving grandparents right to petition courts for privilege of visiting their grandchildren. Family specialists need to understand nature of grandparents' rights laws because these laws affect their duties. Asserts that research findings and expert witness testimonies of family specialists should be included…

Examined hypothesis that, when grandmother-granddaughter contact is low, grandmother-granddaughter relationship is mediated by middle generation and, when contact is high, grandmother-granddaughter relationship is direct and bypasses middle generation. Data from 126 young adult granddaughter-mother-grandmother triads support hypothesis when…

Examined sharing of child development knowledge between grandmothers and mothers in White and Black populations to determine impact of cultural, generational, and familial effects. Fifty-six White grandmother-mother dyads and 31 Black dyads estimated age at which average child is capable of various developmental tasks. Blacks held older age…

Reviews literature and resources available to family life educators to enhance relationships between grandparents and grandchildren and to strengthen extended family network. Discusses symbolic, indirect, and direct influences of grandparents and the effect on children of grandparental influence. (Author/CM)

Discusses demographic changes which have altered the prevalence, timing, and sequencing of family transitions. Focuses on patterns of family deaths, grandparenthood, divorce, and remarriage. Suggests that researchers and practitioners view families as complex webs of lives and relationships. (Author/NB)

Examines the characteristics of grandmothers who help provide care for their grandchildren, using data from a nationally representative sample (N=2,095). Overall, 43% of grandmothers helped provide care for their grandchildren on a regular basis. Grandmothers' age, living arrangements, number of children, number of grandchildren, education, and…

Reviews grandparent/grandchild relationship relative to older adult, middle generation, and grandchild in light of recent demographic changes and increased life expectancy. The role of grandparents as a potential family resource is discussed and implications for family life programming are suggested. (Author)

Examined associations between children's psychological adjustment in stepfather families and their relationships with their noncustodial fathers and paternal grandparents. Results from 98 children and their families indicated no differences in contact or relationship quality with noncustodial fathers or paternal grandparents for boys or girls or…

Explores factors and characteristics related to the extent to which support is a component of parent-grandparent relationships in families of children with disabilities. Results, based on in-depth interviews of 12 parent-grandparent pairs, revealed that the presence and/or type of disability were unrelated to availability of grandparent support.…