Are grandparents raising grandchildren receiving the services they need?


Abstract views: 2248 / PDF downloads: 1207

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37291/2717638X.20212288

Keywords:

Grandparents, Grandchildren, Grandfamilies, Kinship care, Family supportive programs

Abstract

Grandparents play an important role in the upbringing of grandchildren and face increased levels of stress. Using family stress theory, the present study examined the effectiveness of service programs for grandparents raising grandchildren. Data were collected through focus group interviews and audiotaped from a sample of four custodial grandparents living in Ohio U.S.A. To better understand grandparents that are raising their grandchildren, we asked the following questions: 1) What support is needed for grandparents raising grandchildren? 2) At what stage is the support needed: beginning, middle or late stages of caregiving? 3) What are grandparent caregivers’ perceptions of service programs? The audiotape was transcribed verbatim and analyzed for themes relevant to the research questions. The findings from these questions are examined and implications discussed.

References

American Association of Retrieved Persons (AARP). Grandfacts state fact sheet for grandparents and other relative raising children. Retrieved from https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/relationships/friends-family/grandfacts/grandfacts-ohio.pdf

Amorim, M., Dunifon, R., & Pilkauskas, N. (2017). The magnitude and timing of grandparental coresidence during childhood in the United States. Demographic Research, 37, 1695-1706. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4054/DemRes.2017.37.52

Arditti, J. A. (2015). Family problems: Stress, risk, and resilience. London: John Wiley & Sons.

Backhouse, J., & Graham, A. (2013). Grandparents raising their grandchildren: Acknowledging the experience of grief. Australian Social Work, 66(3), 440-454. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2013.817595

Bailey, S. J., Letiecq, B. L., & Porterfield, F. (2009). Family coping and adaptation among grandparents rearing grandchildren. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 7(2-3), 144-158. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15350770902851072

Bigner, J. J., & Gerhardt. C. (Ed.). (2014). Parent- child relations: An introduction to parenting (9th Ed.). Upper Saddler River, NJ: Pearson.

Bigner, J. J., & Gerhardt. C. (Ed.). (2019). Parent- child relations: An introduction to parenting (10th. Ed.). Upper Saddler River, NJ: Pearson.

Boss, P. (2002). Family stress management: A contextual approach (2nd Ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452233895

Boss, P., Bryant, C. M., & Mancini, J. A. (2017). Family stress management: A contextual approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781506352206

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2012). Thematic analysis. In H. Cooper (Ed.), APA Handbook of research methods in psychology: Vol. 2. Research designs (pp. 57-91) Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/13620-004

Brooks, J. (Ed.). (2013). The process of parenting. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Butler, F. R., & Zakari, N. (2005). Grandparents parenting grandchildren: Assessing health status, parental stress, and social supports. Journal of gerontological nursing, 31(3), 43-54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3928/0098-9134-20050301-09

Casey, A. E. Foundation. (2012). Stepping up for kids: What government and communities should do to support kinship families. Retrieved from https://www.aecf.org/m/resourcedoc/AECF-SteppingUpForKids-2012.pdf

Casper, L. M., & Bryson, K. (1998). Co-resident grandparents and their children: Grandparent maintained families. Population Division Technical Working Paper (No: 26). Washington DC: U.S. Bureau of the Census.

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2016). Kinship caregivers and the child welfare system. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau.

Collins, S. M., Fruhauf, C. A., & Bundy-Fazioli, K. (2016). Concerns and supports of grandfamilies using formal services: Do they have the help they need?. GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy, 3(1), 1-35.

Collins, W. L. (2011). A strengths-based support group to empower African American grandmothers raising grandchildren. Social Work and Christianity, 38(4), 453-466.

Cooper, C. (2012). Kinship Families: Grandparents and other relatives as primary caregivers for children. International Journal of Childbirth Education, 27(4), 27–31.

Dolbin-MacNab, M. L. (2006). Just like raising your own? Grandmothers’ perceptions of parenting a second time around. Family Relations, 55(5), 564-575. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2006.00426.x

Dunn, B., & Wamsley, B. (2018). Grandfamilies: Characteristics and needs of grandparents raising Grandchildren. Journal of Extension, 56(5), n5.

Ellis, R. R., & Simmons, T. (2008). Coresident grandparents and their grandchildren: 2012. Journal of Societal & Social Policy, 7, 53.

Fuller-Thomson, E., & Minkler, M. (2003). Housing issues and realities facing grandparent caregivers who are renters. The Gerontologist, 43(1), 92-98. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/43.1.92

Gardiner, J. (2015). Utilizing family life education as a resource for grandparents raising grandchildren: A qualitative study (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation). Kansas State University, KS.

Generations United. (2018). New law will help the growing number of grandparents raising grandchildren. Retrieved from https://www.gu.org/press_releases/new-law-will-help-the-growing-number-of-grandparents-raising-grandchildren/

Gibson, P. A., & Singh, S. (2010). Let's help caregivers and children in informal kinship care: De facto custodian legislation. Child welfare, 89(3) 79-97.

Grinstead, L. N., Leder, S., Jensen, S., & Bond, L. (2003). Review of research on the health of caregiving grandparents. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 44(3), 318-326. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.2003.02807.x

Hill, R. (1958). 1. Generic features of families under Stress. Social casework, 39(2-3), 139-150. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1044389458039002-318

Landry-Meyer L., & Newman, B. (2004). An exploration of the grandparent caregiver role. Journal of Family Issues. (25) 8, 1005–1025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X04265955

Lee, Y., & Blitz, L. V. (2014). We're GRAND: A qualitative design and development pilot project addressing the needs and strengths of grandparents raising grandchildren. Child & Family Social Work, 21(4), 381-390. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12153

Lewis, J. P., Boyd, K., Allen, J., Rasmus, S., & Henderson, T. (2018). “We Raise our Grandchildren as our Own:” Alaska native grandparents raising grandchildren in Southwest Alaska. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 33(3), 265-286. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10823-018-9350-z

McCubbin, H. I., & Patterson, J. M. (1983). The family stress process: The double ABCX model of adjustment and adaptation. Marriage & family review, 6(1-2), 7-37. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1300/J002v06n01_02

Monahan, D. J., Smith, C. J., & Greene, V. L. (2013). Kinship caregivers: Health and burden. Journal of Family Social Work, 16(5), 392-402. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10522158.2013.832464

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. (2017). Ohio resources guide for relatives caring for children (JFS Report: 80146) Retrieved from http://www.co.warren.oh.us/ChildrenServices/Care/GuideBook.pdf

Ohio Grandfacts. (2021) States fact sheet for grandfamilies. Retrieved from https://www.grandfamilies.org/Portals/0/State%20Fact%20Sheets/Ohio%20GrandFacts%20State%20Fact%20Sheet%202021%20Update.pdf

Pandialagappan, T., & Ibrahim, R. (2018). Theories of grandparental stress. Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies, 4(1), 101-106. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26710/jbsee.v4i1.372

Patterson J. (1988). Families experiencing stress: The family adjustment and adaptation response model. Family Systems Medicine 5(2), 202-237. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/h0089739

Peterson, T. L. (2018). Grandparents raising grandchildren in the African American community. Generations, 42(3), 30–36.

Porterfield, F. K. (2007). Family coping and adaptation among grandparents rearing grandchildren (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Montana State University-Bozeman, MT.

Rausch, E. (2016). An exploration of subsidized grandfamily housing in the United States: What works (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Minnesota, MN.

Ravitch, S. M. & Carl, N. M. (Ed.). (2016). Qualitative research: Bridging the conceptual, theoretical and methodological. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Sands, R. G., & Goldberg-Glen. R. S. (2000). Factors associated with stress among Grandparents raising their grandchildren. Family Relations, 49(1), 97-105. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2000.00097.x

Smith, S. R., & Hamon, R. R. (Ed.). (2017). Exploring Family Theories. Oxford: University Press.

Sutphin, S. T. (2015). Using Kinship Navigators to assess the needs of kinship caregivers. GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy, 2(1), 50-74.

Van Etten, D., & Gautam, R. (2012). Custodial grandparents raising grandchildren: Lack of legal relationship is a barrier for services. Journal of gerontological nursing, 38(6), 18-22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3928/00989134-20120509-02

White, J. M., Klein, D. M., & Martin, T. F. (Ed.). (2015). Family theories an introduction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Whitley, D. M., Lamis, D. A., & Kelley, S. J. (2016). Mental health stress, family resources and psychological distress: A longitudinal mediation analysis in African American grandmothers raising grandchildren. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 72(6), 563–579. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22272

Downloads

Published

2021-07-16

How to Cite

Harris, K., Gifty Ashirifi, Harris, C., & Trauth, J. . (2021). Are grandparents raising grandchildren receiving the services they need?. Journal of Childhood, Education & Society, 2(2), 167–177. https://doi.org/10.37291/2717638X.20212288