It’s not surprising to learn that the Great Recession led more children into the homes of their grandparents.
The
Pew Research Center released an analysis of census data today showing one in 10 American children were living with a grandparent in 2011.
Of the 7.7 million children living with their parent’s parent, about 3 million had a grandparent as their primary caregiver.
Those trends rose quickly when the Recession began in 2007 and have stabilized since 2009, which is considered the official end of the financial crisis, the report states.
Even if the powers-that-be declared an end to the recession, there are certainly those who will cite the hangover effects.
And, millions of children still live in their grandparent’s home today.
While there are great benefits and wisdom coming from grandparents, there are strains to this living arrangement.
Money is usually a top concern.
Children who are cared for primarily by a grandparent are more likely to be living below the poverty line (28 percent versus 17 percent) and have lower median household income ($36,000 versus $48,000) than children who are not being cared for primarily by a grandparent, the report states.
One-fifth (22 percent) of grandparent caregivers are living below the poverty line. This share is just 10 percent among the full population ages 50 and older.
About 80 percent of households with a child and grandparent, at least one of the child’s parents is also in the home.
About 52 percent of children are living with one parent in addition to a grandparent caregiver, and an additional 8 percent are living with two parents.
The report found parents living in these households have “characteristics suggestive of the need for family assistance.”
About 44 percent had a baby as a teenager, 12 percent have a disability, 21 percent are unemployed, 29 percent lack a high school diploma and 22 percent are currently enrolled in school.
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