Grandparents Who Provide Child Care: A Look At Their Involvement

Grandparents taking care of or raising grandchildren is a child care trend being noted in the news nationwide. New research from Child Trends looks at Grandma and Grandpa Taking Care of the Kids: Patterns of Involvement. This brief reports that about 47 percent of grandparents with young children living nearby provide some type of child care assistance to their adult children. And while grandmothers are more likely to provide the child care (54 percent), about 38 percent of grandfathers do as well. I know my children's grandparents have been absolute lifesavers throughout their young years--and still are! I thank their involvement, support, and love every day! Do you utilize the help of your child's grandparents for child care? The Child Care Forum addresses this topic and your comments are welcome!