The Trend of Putting Children under Their Grandparents Care - Essay Example

EXAMINATION OF RECENT RESEARCH and Unit al Affiliation The Influence of Grandparents as Carers on Children’s Lives and Developmental Outcome “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in the United States: Changing Family Forms, Stagnant Social Policies” by Lindsey Baker, Merril Silverstein, Norella Putney. According to Baker, Silverstein and Putney (2008, p. 2), increased rates of divorce, economic stagnation patterns, substance and drug abuse, and family types, are the major factors contributing to the rise of grandparents raising grandchildren. Over time, families have changed to include types such as same sex marriages, single parents, cohabiting families, nuclear families; grandparents led families, and others. This diversification in families and the working poor have elevated the need for relying on extended family for child support (Backhouse 12). The need for extended families is compounded by the rise economic stagnation manifested by reduction in real wages, and overall reduction in jobs offering benefits and a living wage, and government sector retrenchments for single mothers, and working poor (Baker, Silverstein, and Putney, 2008, p. 2).The result is a compromise in the ability of parents to raise their children while increasing the childcare gap. In this case, grandparents are the most reliable guardian in such distressed families as their sons and daughters in the middle-generation are incapable of rearing their children on their own. Baker, Silverstein, and Putney (2008, p. 3) highlight that about 6.5 million children in the United States live with one grandparent causing about 9% of all children nationally. This means that while the parents of these children work, grandparents are used as babysitters, who offer childcare. Consequently, families translate into multi-generational households. The grandparents living with grandchildren can be custodial or non-custodial. With custodial carer, the grandparents care for grandchildren on a full time basis. The grandparents can be relatives or non relatives the grandchildren left to care for children, especially where the motheres return to work after having a baby (Grandparents Plus). Unrelated grandparents are just day carers. Conversely, non-custodial grandparents caring for grandchildren are just day carers who are not the principle source of care for the children since their parents are either co-residents or not. However, the research notes that grandparent carers are unevenly distributed across racial groups and social classes, especially where poor families depend on them as cheap childcare that facilitates both parents to work (Grandparents Plus). Furthermore, amongst African Americans custodial grandparenting rates are very high given the historically high rates of single parenting and poverty (Backhouse 12). Extended familism’s cultural tendency towards post-reconstruction and slavery migration patterns also contribute to the high levels of grandparent carers. This was reinforced by the Civil War that saw numerous African-Americans migrate to cities in the north in search of employment (Backhouse 14). This meant that children were left behind with grandparents as guardians. Although grandparent care giving offers the chance of remaining young and active, and a chance to parenting again, children also benefit from shared time and opportunities. Some of the benefits include protection from family instability, neglect, and parental abuse that results in sophistication of behavioural issues (Grandparents Plus). Children and grandparent carers also cook, go outings, go to the library, play games, and watch television together. Although grandparents have been a significant assistance with children rearing, their increasing number indicates that government programs within the United States are not sufficiently addressing family needs for families with grandparent carers. Consequently, these children are the most vulnerable in the United States receiving the least resources to survive (Baker, Silverstein, and Putney, 2008, p. 4). Changes in Statistics Backhouse (2009) highlights that, the trend of putting children under their grandparents’ care has increased tremendously in the western world. In the United Kingdom, approximately 8,000 children in 2001 lived in formal kinship care. These figures were an increase compared to 1997 figures, by about 34% and around half being grandparents caring for their grandchildren. According to Brooks (2011, p. 2), the situation has grown to account to approximately 200,000 friends and family carers, particularly in Wales and England, where one or both parents have serious drug issues, and affecting around 200,00-300,000 children. The affected children have to grow under formal or informal arrangements in effort to ensure that they obtain stable families. Griggs, et al (2010, p. 200) explain that in the UK alone, 13.5 million kinship carers in 2005 were equivalent to 60% of the overall national child care, in both full time and part time employment. Back then, the ratio of children living with grandparents was 1:100. In addition, majority of England and Wales children under kinship carers formed the majority, where those under formal kinship were from complicated family situations (Griggs, et al., 2010, p. 201). A comparison of the US statistics with those of the UK indicates an even higher number of kinship carers, with the rise attributed to the last four decades. According to Kelley, et al. (2012), there was a 30% increase in kinship carers where grandparents raised relative or non-relative grandchildren between 1990 and 2000. In 2000, the number of grandparents living with their grandchildren rose to about 5.7 million based on statistics (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2000). By 2012, this figure had increased to include around 1.6 million children being under the both full time and day care of their grandparents. In households where parents were absent, like in the UK, most of the absent parents in the US were due to parental child abuse, substance and drug abuse, health, and behavioural issues. However, an increasing trend indicates that most parents preferred to have their children placed under the care of relatives compared to non-relatives (Fuller-Thompson, 2000). Statistics from 2010 indicated that most of the grandparents raising their grandchildren were 65 years or more possibly due to rising life expectancy, coupled with lessened rates of fertilities. As a result, the family structure changed to constitute more of multi-generational for the good of the children and their parents alike. However, like in the UK, the family structure is heavily affected by poor family policies that expose the poor families to the vulnerability of little support. In the US about 19% of the grandchildren cared by grandparents are living below the poverty line compared to 14% of children from other families. Furthermore, a study by NatCen (Natcen 12) indicated that in the previous week, 26% of families had obtained assistance from grandparents as carers for their children. Ellis & Simmons (2014, p. 1) reveal that by 2012, in the US, about 4.2 million homes comprised of children under 18 years, and grandparents, where 67% of these households were grandparent-maintained, and 30% being led by a grandparent and a parent. Only 2% of grandparent-led households constituted of non-relative grandparent carers. Grandparents as Carers in Cross-cultural settings The role of grandparents as carers has changed with increased life expectancy, female employment, and single-parent families. New Tech Media (2014), highlight that amidst economic difficulties, families experience the need for both parents engaging in full time employment, thus elevating the potential to play the key role of caring for their grandparents. Consequently, the role of grandparents amongst families have changed, especially that of women grandparents. Harper & Levin (2005, pp. 1-2) reveal that men and women can spend more than 25 years, being grandparents compared to their role as parents to their own children, 18 years on average. Besides single families, poverty, and the engagement of females in the labour market, grandparents live longer with their grandchildren. On the grandparent’s, taking care of young grandchildren causes anxiety and stress, as they struggle to obtain suitable accommodation to shelter their children’s children of different ages (Ellis & Simmons, 2014). According to Brookes (2011), most of these grandparents are young, with little education, and living under poverty. The youngest grandparent is between 30-39 years, amounting to 2%, 34% aged between 50-59 years, and up to 4% are 80 years and over. On the affected children, too much bullying is experienced at school, and in most cases influence the educational attainment of the child. In the UK, Stathan (2011) highlights that the working age and working class grandmothers on low incomes are the most vulnerable groups to being children carers, thus end up quitting work or minimizing their working hours to take care of their grandchildren. Additionally, less than a quarter of the educated parents depend on grandparents’ care compared to 30-36% of parents with low education levels (Statham, 2011). State sponsored family support programs in the UK have been present since 1997. However, these programs seem to deliberately ignore the grandparents’ role as caregivers. In the US, grandparent caregivers have long been ignored by the policies, and feel that they have no rights or help. Policy about grandparents as Carers In different nations, the assistance offered to grandparents fostering grandchildren differs from the assistance offered to grandparents. For instance, England and Wales legally prohibit direct contact of grandparents with their grandchildren, and have to apply to the courts to be granted legal permissions and recognition for any caring arrangement (Hughes, et al., 2008). Gheera & Kennedy (2014, p. 12) define child arrangement orders are granted to decide where, when, and what time a child spends with their parents, family members, and grandparents. Conversely, a child’s parent can ask that a grandparent temporarily cares for a child through the power of attorney that allows grandparents to support their grandchildren by meeting their educational and medical needs. Other forms of policies and laws around grand parenting in the UK include legal custody, guardianship, and adoption. Through adoption, grandparents guarantee a permanent arrangement to adopt a child as one of their own and with no connection to its biological parents. However, guardianship permits grandparents to accommodate their grandchildren, while parents have visitation rights during the guardianship period. Finally, legal custody enables grandparents to fully control their grandchildren through a court order. How Grandparents are supported In 2011, the UK government recognized the work of grandparents working at least 20 hours caring for children through a National Insurance credits claim as a form of pension. Other nations in Europe, including Germany, Portugal, and Hungary, recognize and reward grandparents differently (Carlini-Marlatt, 2006). In China, grandparents depend on support given to them by their adult children while in Australia, most families depend on day nurseries or child minders coupled with grandparent support to care for their children. In the US, government programs available for care, providing grandparents do not adequately meet family needs, yet these children are highly vulnerable to lack of relevant assistance. These families only obtain little resources that do not satisfy their needs. Grandparents Plus 32 survey revealed that most grandparents supported the idea of payment for their work in supporting the children’s parents’ to work. The two most preferred forms of payment were childcare and credit vouchers, and this was supported by parents from lower socioeconomic classes and from the employed grandparents. Although most people would consider financial assistance as a form of incentive, it contributes greatly in low income families. Issues of Grandparents on children Development Though some grandparents feel forced to take up an unplanned role as full time carers, majority tend to be role models who shares skills, provide advice, nurture talents, and teach their grandchildren (Gheera & Kennedy, 2004, p.12). This way, the grandchildren tend to repeat something they heard, avoid habits reproached by their grandparents, or heed to advice to take up commendable behaviours. Secondly, caring grandparents who create time to play with their grandchildren provide an opportunity for the child to have playmates that pull-out mesmerizing tricks to keep them happy (Carlini-Marlatt, 2006). In some cases, playful grandmothers become the heroes that their grandchildren turn to share secrets and offer emotional safety nets, especially where crucial decisions are to be made. Thirdly, while grandchildren offer grandparents the purpose of living, laughter, activity, optimism, energy, and youthfulness, grandchildren benefit from knowledge, unconditional love, maturity, and stability (Grandparents Plus). This is the case, especially where the parents are abusive or overly harsh on their children, and grandparents offer the comfort needed during such times. However, children raised by their grandparents tend to demonstrate poor performance at school coupled with aggression and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (Hughes, et al., 2008).. This is mostly the case given nasty experiences with their parents tending to affect their emotions, behaviour, development, and physical capacities. In some cases, grandchildren develop the feelings of rejection, anger, and guilt, for being raised by their grandparents and not by their parents as they would expect. Finally, children mental development is affected causing confusion and stress especially where the households are grandparents-led and parents only visit once in a while never explaining to their children what is happening in their lives. They also experience relationships that are meaningful with their parents since only little time is provided between them and their parents. Conclusion This paper has examined the influence of kinship carers on the development and lives of children in the UK, America, and other world nations. The findings reveal that in most nations, the existing kinship carers programs are inadequate and do not offer assistance and recognition. Consequently, numerous policies and programs have been initiated to promote equal rights for grandparents officially appointed as foster parents and those with no official appointment, but involved in caring for more than 20 hours a day. Acknowledging unofficial grandparents appointment to raise grandchildren is crucial, especially in the UK where about 300,000 children are raised by their grandparents friends, or other family members who experience dire financial and other needs. Bibliography Backhouse, J., 2009. Grandparents Raising Their Children: Impact of The Transition from a Traditional Grandparent Role to a Grandparent-as-Parent Role. Lismore, NSW, Southern Cross University. Baker, L., Silverstein, M. & Putney, N., 2008. Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in the United States: Changing Family Forms, Stagnant Social Policies. Journal of Social Policy, Volume 7, pp. 53-69. Brooks, V., 2011. Grandparent Carers Raising Grandchildren Due To Parental Substance Misuse , United Kingdom: Adfam Grandparent Carers Project. Backhouse, J. "Grandparents raising their grandchildren: A transTasman comparison." TASA & SAANZ Joint Conference. Auckland, New Zealand: Uniersity of Auckland, 2007. 4-7. Print. Carlini-Marlatt, B., 2006. Grandparents in Custodial Care of Thier Grandchildren: A Literature Review. Illus ed. London: Mentor UK. Ellis, R. & Simmons, T., 2014. Coresident Grandparents and Thier Grandchildren: 2012, United States: U.S. Department of Commerce. Fuller-Thompson, E. M. M., 2000. The Mental and Physical Health of Grandmothers who are Raising Their Children. Journal of Mental Health and Aging, Volume 6, pp. 311-323. Gheera, M. & Kennedy, S., 2014. Support for Family and Friends Carers Looking after Children, UK. Grandparents Plus. Grandparents helping with childcare. 2015. Web. 17 March 2015. Griggs, J. et al., 2010. 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[Online] Available at: http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Features/2014/20141022_Ten-Percent-of-Grandparents-Live-With-a-Grandchild,-Census-Bureau-Reports.htm [Accessed 11 March 2015]. Statham, J., 2011. Grandparents Providing Child Care. United Kingdom: Childhood Wellbeing Research Cebnre. U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2000. Current Population Survey, Washington DC: Government Printing Office. Read More