The number of grandparents raising their grandchildren -- particularly among whites -- has increased slowly and steadily during the past decade, according to a new analysis of U.S. Census data.
Researchers at the Pew Center said that more than 40 percent of U.S. children live with one of more of their grandparents.
That figure -- 2.9 million children -- rose slowly throughout the decade and then spiked from 2007 to 2008, the first year of the Great Recession. In that single year, the analysis showed, there was a 6 percent increase.
Although the pattern is more common among African-Americans and Hispanics, the sharpest rise surprisingly was among whites -- a 9 percent jump compared to just 2 percent for blacks and no change among Hispanics.
Gretchen Livingston, senior researcher at the pew research center, was at a loss to explain the increase.
Livingston said, however, “It was such a surprise to see that the increases were not across all groups but primarily among the whites. I would’ve expected the increases across all groups.”
The numbers mirror those in Georgia, said Deborah M. Whitley, director of the National Center on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren at Georgia State University.
“We’ve seen this increasing trend over time,” Whitley said.
Between 2007 and 2008, the percent of white grandparents who had primary responsibility of raising their grandchildren increased by 12 percent compared to 7 percent for African-Americans.
In 2008, 8 percent of all children in the state lived with a grandparent; more than 134,000 Georgia children or 63 percent were under the care of a custodial grandparent.
“We are beginning to see some of the ravages of the recession,” Whitley said. “As many families struggle to maintain economic stability, some parents are moving to another locality to identify employment and alleviate some of the pressure, and grandparents are the first line of defense.”
In addition, she said, substance abuse, incarceration and more recently military employment have also played a role.
Sallie Kisella, 74, of Powder Springs said she and her husband have been caring for their 20-year-old granddaughter, who is now a college student, since age 6.
"My son couldn't take care of her," she said.
Kisella said that just when she and her husband thought they could enjoy retirement, they had to raise their granddaughter, who has struggled with feelings of abandonment. Her father, Kisella's son, is incarcerated, and she has seen her mother only once in 12 years.
"The challenge always is they never feel like they have a family," Kisella said. "Even though you love them, it still isn't the mom and pop deal."
She said, "It's been a challenge for all of us, but it's been a warm-hearted challenge."
PARENTING GRANDPARENTS
Numbers of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren in the state of Georgia.
Year | Grandparent co-residents | Grandparent caregivers | % below poverty level
2000 | 193,825 | 92,265 | 20.5
2005 | 193,219 | 93,189 | 28.7
2006 | 204,536| 95,338 | 22.6
2007 | 227,160| 100,495 | 22.8
2008 | 241,808 | 111,608 | 22.2
% change 2000-2008 | 24.8 % | 20.9%
Grandparent caregivers by race | Total | Percent change | Percent 2000-2008
2,636,728 | +5 | +8
White | 1,397,090 | +9 | +19
Black | 621,887 | +2 | -12
Hispanic | 483,183 | 0 | +14
Asian | 89,608 | -3 | +9
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