Grandparents Important Source of Child Care in US

A new finding by researchers at the University of Chicago says that grandparents in the United States seem to be an increasingly important source of child care.

Published in the Journal of Family Issues, the study explores the diversity in the kinds of care provided by grandparents.

The study was based on one of the most comprehensive surveys done on grandparenting, the 1998-2008 Health and Retirement Study supported by the National Institute on Aging. The longitudinal study interviewed 13,614 grandparents, aged 50 and above, at two-year intervals over the 10-year period to determine their level of care-giving.

The study reveals nearly 60 percent of the grandparents provide some care to their grandchildren especially during the 10 year period, and 70 percent of them provide care for two years or more.

This study supports the U.S. Census data that highlights the importance of grandparents in child care. According to the 2010 Census report, nearly 8 percent of grandparents live with their grandchildren, and 2.7 million grandparents are responsible for most of their grandchildren's needs. 

In the case of working mothers who have children below the age of five, grandparents are the primary source of child care for 30 percent of such mothers.

On conducting the study the researchers claim that minority, low-income grandparents were more likely to head households with grandchildren.

"Our findings show that different groups of grandparents are likely to provide different types of care. Importantly grandparents with less income and less education, or who are from minority groups, are more likely to take on care for their grandchildren," Linda Waite, the Lucy Flower professor in Sociology at UChicago and an expert on aging, said.

Today's THV quoted Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United, in Washington, D.C. saying that grandparents who provide care do so because "they want to, and because of the economy."

"Grandparents are being asked to help financially and relieve the financial burden of child care, by taking care of their grandchildren. They have a tendency to be healthier and want to be involved in their grandchildren's lives. They're not as interested in moving away from their families. If anything, they would move to be closer to their grandchildren."