In this section, we refer to grandparents as alloparents. When grandparents take on the rearing of a grandchild, they may act as though the situation is temporary. Most admit that they expect to rear the child to adulthood, but they put off legal action of guardianship or adoption.
Delays stretch into years and cause problems with health care, school records, and so forth.
Research on caregiving grandparents includes these legal questions, but it does not tell us what solutions would work best for which families. We know the number of children living with their grandparents is going up. It is expected to keep going up. Research tells us that caregiving by grandparents varies in different ethnic groups. For example, African-American families are more likely to provide direct care to grandchildren.