Sunday, Sept. 13 was Grandparents Day. Many grandparents will have received loving cards, calls and emails from their grandchildren.
However, a significant number of grandparents—approximately 2.7 million, as reported by the U.S. Census—will have done exactly what they do every day, which is make their grandchildren breakfast, organize their activities and help with homework in the evening.
As researchers and health and social service professionals, we know that this is a growing group of often invisible caregivers.
Grandparents Day is a fitting moment to take a closer look at the social contribution grandparents are making and to ask what impact this unexpected caregiving—often in later stages of these people’s lives—is having on them.
Not a New Phenomenon but a Changing One
The profile of grandparents who are raising grandchildren suggests that these care providers exist in all segments of our society.
Nationally, 51 percent are white, 24 percent are African American and 19 percent are Latino. Also worth noting: 67 percent are younger than age 60 and 25 percent live in poverty (as defined by Federal Poverty Level) .
