Medrano: The growing role of grandparents in family support

Yadira Medrano

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Grandparents offer a compassionate solution that prevents children from entering the foster care system, allowing them to stay connected to family and community while maintaining stability during an otherwise disruptive time.”

The traditional family structure has transformed in recent decades, with an increasing number of grandparents stepping into primary caregiving roles for their grandchildren.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, grandparents were more likely to be responsible for their grandchildren for five years or longer in 2021 (49.3%) compared to 2012 (39.3%). Kinship caregivers provide love and support in a familiar setting, allowing children to remain connected with their families and communities.

Why grandparents are taking on caregiver roles

Children may be placed with their grandparents or other relatives for reasons such as parental neglect, physical abuse, substance abuse and abandonment. Additionally, circumstances like housing instability, incarceration or immigration can contribute to this shift.

By stepping into this role, grandparents offer a compassionate solution that prevents children from entering the foster care system, allowing them to stay connected to family and community while maintaining stability during an otherwise disruptive time.

The importance of kinship care and community resources

The Kinship Navigation program operated by Arizona’s Children Association is designed to support kinship caregivers in their efforts to provide a safe, permanent and nurturing home.

Kinship caregivers often face unique challenges, such as legal issues, financial strain and the emotional toll of adjusting to new parenting roles later in life. The Kinship Navigation program provides resources like legal guidance, financial assistance and emotional support, helping caregivers build a strong foundation for the children in their care.

Challenges faced by grandparent caregivers

Despite their dedication, grandparents in caregiving roles encounter numerous obstacles.

Financially, many grandparents are living on fixed incomes and may struggle to afford the additional costs of raising children. Emotionally, these grandparents may feel isolated, taking on the stress of caregiving without the same peer support networks available to younger parents.

The challenges can be further complicated by the need to manage generational differences, which may affect discipline, technology use and communication styles. Some grandparents may feel a compounded effect of strain depending on the family’s situation.

Families with more kinship children and families struggling to gain legal permanency may need much more support as they navigate their new lives. Every kinship family will have a unique experience, but all kinship families go through a period of adverse adjustment when kinship care begins.

Grandparents, often seen as secondary caregivers, are increasingly filling essential roles within family units. The dedication of these grandparents serves as a testament to the enduring strength of family bonds, with communities playing an essential part in supporting them in their journey.

Kinship families and especially kinship caregivers are the backbone of our child welfare system and can be, at times, the unsung heroes for children no longer living in their nuclear family. Programs like Kinship Navigation offer invaluable resources that strengthen family ties and create a support network for grandparents taking on these critical roles.

The goals of this program are to develop resilient kinship families that can build protective factors for children in their care that will ripple beyond generations. Kinship supporters understand that relational and legal permanency are possible, one child at a time.

Editor’s note: Yadira Medrano is Arizona Kinship Navigation Program director for Arizona's Children Association. She has served in many capacities within the child welfare system, including delivering services directly to kinship families and children. She specializes in evidence-based kinship programming in Arizona and assists with the implementation of Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse models around the nation. Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.