However, more and more grandparents are being called on to step back into the parental role, generally following a crisis in the lives of the grandchildren's parents. Through surveys and interviews, Jones is collecting information about the physical and emotional health of grandparent caregivers, their financial situation and their legal needs. Beyond this, she wants to discover what qualities make grandparents successful caregivers and what support services they would find helpful. We want to learn how MSU can partner with other agencies in communities across the state to enhance services for these families. Most of the grandparents that Jones has surveyed are in their 50s and 60s, married and the primary caregivers for two or three grandchildren ranging in age from 5 to 11 years old.
Money is tight and many are struggling to meet the financial needs of their households.
As grandparents age, they become increasingly concerned about their physical ability to take care of their grandchildren. They would like to use respite care services, but the lack of providers and the cost of respite programs are substantial obstacles to doing so. Building relationships with grandparent and community groups has been one significant outcome of Jones's project. The project has had the very positive effect of linking people who had been working independently on behalf of grandparents, strengthening their efforts and creating a powerful network that will make new initiatives possible. Kinship care professionals from a variety of state and local agencies are eagerly awaiting Jones's final report, which will be issued this fall.