Intergenerational households headed by grandparents: Contexts, realities, and implications for policy

More than one in ten grandparents has primary responsibility for raising a grandchild at some point, with this care often lasting for a period of several years. This paper provides a critical look at the growing phenomenon of intergenerational households headed by grandparents. A brief review of the demographics of grandparent grandparent caregiving is followed by an exploration of several of the sociological contexts which help situate and explain the meaning and significance of such caregiving in late 20th century America. Key findings concerning the physical, emotional, and "economic health" of grandparent caregivers and their families are presented to further flesh out our understanding of this trend The paper concludes by offering implications for policy and related areas, with special attention to the need to critically examine recent welfare reform efforts in terms of their impacts on intergenerational households headed by grandparents.