Living with grandma - A grandfamily study

In recent years, large numbers of grandparents have become full-time surrogate parents to their grandchildren. These grandparents and grandchildren often have serious problems that may require assistance from schools and mental health professionals. The term 'grandfamily' is used to, easily identify families where grandparents raise children because their biological parents can no longer care for them. 'Grandkin' are children and 'supergrands' are the grandparents in these grandfamilies. Grandparents who raise their grandchildren tend to have elevated levels of stress that negatively impact their well-being. School personnel report 'grandkin' also experience behavioural, emotional And academic problems at school. In light of the substantial needs of 'grandfamilies' and the lack of data about 'grandkin,' this article provides a first step in describing the major challenges experienced by a grandson and his grandmother. This 'grandfamily' encounters serious economic, emotional and educational stressors. Both the grandson and grandmother experience difficulty functioning under the pressure of stressors and would benefit from an integrated intervention approach based in the home, school and their faith organization.