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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

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Running head: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Willie Williams
Paine College
Sociology of aging
Professor S. W. Godbee, LMSW February 28th, 2013

Table of Contents I. Abstract II. Introduction III. Review of Literature/ Compare & Contrast A. Reasons for grandparents raising grandchildren B. Legal issues C. Financial issues D. Healthcare Issues E. Positive and negative emotional effects F. Conclusion

Abstract

A lot of parents are leaving the responsibility of parenting roles on grandparents due to numerous personal and …show more content…

Taking care of a grandchild may put the grandparent’s future in jeopardy. Some grandparents have to make job related sacrifices while grandparents who were comfortably retired deplete their savings to take help support their grandchildren. Taking on a parental roll has effects on a person’s lifestyle and his or her relationship with friends and family. The extent of the effects depends upon the extent of child-care that is provided by the grandparent. Grandparents who are raising their grandchildren assume that when their children were grown, it would relinquish the role of raising children but now they are raising their grandchildren. Sometimes it makes the grandparent resentful (Driver et. al, 1997).

Legal Issues

There are numerous legal issues that complicate grandparents raising grandchildren. Living arrangements within these households are quite often fluid and informally arranged. Grandparents raising grandchildren are likely to move in and out of the grandparent caregiver role throughout their life depending on the needs of adult children and grandchildren (Lee, E. & LaVeist, 2005). Due to these types of living arrangements, grandparents who raise their grandchildren have no legal rights concerning their grandchildren. They may be viewed as “babysitters.” By not having rights concerning the grandchild, the grandparent must abide by whatever

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