More American Children Living With Grandparents

 Posted on November 14, 2013 in Divorce

More and more grandparents in America are “stepping up to help their adult children raise kids,” according to a recent study reported by the Huffington Post. The research was conducted by US 2010, a project that tracks changes in American society. Its findings correspond to a similar study conducted by the Pew Research Center that recently found that “7.7 million U.S. children—one in 10—were living in the same household as one of their grandparents in 2011.” In several of these cases, it’s not as if the grandparent was living with their adult child, having moved in so that their child could help with the ageing process. In most of these cases a single parent had moved back into his or her parents’ home. According to the Huffington Post AARP expert Amy Goyer told the Washington Post that. “grandparents have always been a safety net… adding that nearly 20 percent of grandparents with grandchildren in the house are living below the poverty line.” The 2007–2008 recession added to the number of children living with grandparents across the country, according to the Huffington Post. The study conducted by US 2010 also found that “almost one-third of grandmothers who live with their grandchildren are the primary caregivers.” The percentage of children living with grandparents increased depending on race and socioeconomic status. “Black and Hispanic grandmothers are more likely than white grandmothers to live with grandchildren and black grandmothers are more likely than Hispanic grandmothers to be the primary caregivers,” according to the Huffington Post. It’s not just in opening their homes that grandparents are helping parents out raising children, either. According to a 2012 Reuters report, “the AARP reported that a quarter [of grandparents surveyed] spent more than $1,000 a year on their grandkids, with 37 percent saying that they helped cover daily living costs.” Grandparental visitation and grandparents’ rights are an important aspect of family law, whether the child is living with the grandparent or not. If someone in your family has gone through a divorce and you’re curious about your rights as a grandparent, don’t go through it alone. Seek the counsel of a qualified family law attorney today.