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Politics & The Nation


Grandparents increasingly fill need amid recession


BY CAROL MORELLO The number of children being


raised by their grandparents has risen sharply since the start of the recession in 2007, according to a new Pew Research Center study that found one in 10 chil- dren in the U.S. now lives with a grandparent. The trendwasmost noticeable


among whites, Pew said in its analysis of census data. Those whites who were primary care- givers for their grandchildren rose 9 percent from 2007 to 2008, compared with a 2 percent increase among black grandpar- ents and no change among His- panics. In all, 2.9 million chil- dren are being raised mainly by at least one grandparent, or 4 percent of all children. For most of the decade, the


number of children having a grandparent as their primary caretaker rose slowly and steadi- ly, Pew noted. But as the econo- my soured, the rise was sudden and steep. Three quarters of the 8 percent total increase since 2000 in the number of grandpar- ents raising their children's kids occurred in the year following the official start of the recession in December 2007. In another study earlier this


year, Pew said the number of households composed of multi- ple generations is higher than it has been in half a century, be- cause of all the job losses and foreclosures that mark this re- cession. The economy is not entirely to


blame, however. There has been a nationwide


effort to have children from troubled families placed with relatives like grandparents, in- stead of in foster homes. Mont- gomery County, for example, has experienced an upswing in grandparents as caregivers, but most of it is fromurging themto “step up to the plate” so that their grandchildren don’t enter foster care, said Angela English, ad- ministrator in the county’s Child Welfare Services. In addition, some military


parents facing multiple deploy- ments in Iraq or Afghanistan have entrusted their children to the grandparents. Nonetheless, advocates for in-


tergenerational families say the recession has dealt multiple blows to grandparents. Some are caring for grandchildren while their own children have gone away to look for another job or get career retraining. Mean- while,many financially strapped states and counties have cut programs that provided financial and emotional support to so- called kinship families, includ- ing respite care and support groups. The families often are dealing with added emotional issues that stem from job loss. And many grandparents have diminished financial resources themselves as their retirement funds have been decimated by the economic downturn. “If there's been a loss of a house, a loss of a job, the need to


Elders assume new roles Te number of children with grandparent caregivers has risen in the last decade, spiking in 2007, the first year of the recession.


Number of children with grandparent caregivers, in millions


0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0


2.9 2.5


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SOURCES: Pew Research Center; U.S. Census Bureau NOTE: 2001-2004 data unavailable.


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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2010 A new generation of caregivers takes control of kids


retrain for another, you're talk- ing about people whose dreams have changed and whose lives have dramatically changed,” said Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United, which focuses on intergenerational is- sues. “They have to come to terms with that, as well as the new roles they all have to as- sume.” Groups that offer assistance are being sought out by grand-


parents seeking help for the first time in their lives. “People who haven’t struggled


or needed services in the past need it now,” said Cathy Tomp- kins, director of the undergradu- ate social work program at George Mason University and a researcher in gerentology who is working with Fairfax County to assess needs of people providing kinship care. One grandmotherwho attend-


ed a recent meeting held by Fairfax County’s Family Services agency told officials her grand- daughter used to invite her friends over, but as a teenager never entertained at home be- cause all her friends were living with their parents, said Tomp- kins who attended the session. The grandmother wanted a sup- port group for teens so they would not feel so alone and “different.”


Amy Goyer, a family expert


with AARP, said anecdotes she has heard suggest the recession- related increase is large. “That’s the thing abut this


recession; it’s hit somany people at different socioeconomic lev- els,” she said. According to the Pew study,


almost two-thirds of the grand- parents who are primarily re- sponsible for their grandchil- dren are under 60. In the 2000


Census, the average age was 57. “These are not necessarily


grandparents who are retired,” said Goyer. “They're preparing for retirement, and a lot of times their retirement savings is going down the drain. They lost it or it was undermined by the econom- ic situation, and now they're spending it on family. It puts the grandparents’ generation in jeopardy as well.” morelloc@washpost.com


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