Grandparents and Grandchildren Bond

Are you aware that the number of grandchildren living with their grandparents has risen again according to the latest Census Facts. It never hurts to know you rights if you even think this could be in your near future.

No parent wants to believe that their children would ever put themselves in a position to raise children again but it is happening all over our country and the world for several reasons.

It may be because of substance abuse such as drugs, alcohol or they may be in jail. read the latest facts the Census Bureau found.In the most recent Census Bureau statistics, 2.4 million of the nation's families are maintained by grandparents who have one or more of their grandchildren living with them--an increase of 400,000 (19 percent) since 1990. These families comprise 7 percent of all families with children under 18.

Slightly more than half (1.3 million) of these 2.4 million grandparent-maintained families contain both grandparents; 1.0 million have only a grandmother; and 150,000 have only a grandfather.

All in all, 2.3 million grandparent-maintained families contain a grandmother and 1.4 million have a grandfather. The grandfathers are more likely than the grandmothers to be employed (66 percent compared with 51 percent) and to own their home (81 percent compared with 69 percent) but less likely to be poor (12 percent and 23 percent).

Of the grandparents who maintain homes for their grandchildren, 55 percent of grandmothers and 47 percent of grandfathers are not yet age 55. Additionally, 19 percent of grandmothers and 15 percent of grandfathers are under age 45.

About two-thirds of grandparent-maintained families include one or both of the children's parents.

Among grandparent-maintained families, the average household income ranges from $19,750 for those with only a grandmother present to $61,632 for families with both grandparents and at least one of the grandchildren's parents present.

* If you see bruises or they are having unexplained you should ask them how they got the bruises and if they seem untruthful about how it happened, this could be a warning sign of abuse.
* Are they missing a lot of school and if so,why?
* Ask if they are having trouble sleeping or you have noticed restlessness in them
* Ask about their appearance and if it is poor or out of normal for them ask them about the changes
* Ask about stress-related symptoms, such as headaches or stomachaches
* If they seem to be depressed or anxious,ask why
* Ask them why they are not eating as usual, or having panic attacks
* If they have started wetting and soiling themselves,ask if they know why
* If they are playing sexually explicit ask where they got that at and let them know it's OK to talk about it
* If you notice restlessness and think they are having nightmares,ask why them if they are having nightmares and if they know why

The Grandchildren's Perspective

There are 3.9 million (6 percent) children in the United States living in a grandparent's home, up 76 percent from the 2.2 million (3 percent) who did so in 1970.

Among children in grandparent-headed families, 47 percent live with both grandparents, 47 percent reside with only their grandmother, and 6 percent live with only their grandfather. About two-thirds of these children also reside with at least one of their parents.

Of the children living in a grand-parent's home, 42 percent are white, 36 percent are African American, 17 percent are Hispanic, and 5 percent are Asian or Pacific Islander or American Indian or Alaska Native.

About 670,000 children across the United States live in their grandmother's home with neither their grandfather nor their parents present. About two-thirds of these children are poor. The overall poverty rate for children living in a grandparent's home is 27 percent; for children living in their parents' home, it is 19 percent.

One-half of grandchildren living in a grandparent's home are younger than 6.

With respect to one-third of the children who live in a grandparent's home, the grandparent(s) lacks a high school diploma. In contrast, only one-eighth of children residing in their parents' homes can say the same thing about their parent(s).

For further information on these Census Bureau facts go to the following URL: http:www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0026/twps0026.html
Source

United States Department of Commerce, Economic & Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau, the Official Statistics, 1997, http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-ff.10.html