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Help available for grandparents raising grandchildren

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For many seniors, one of the greatest joys of their Golden Years is having a grandchild curl up on their lap and fall asleep, spoil them with cookies and little gifts, then send them home to Mom and Dad.

But, for a growing number of seniors, the roles of parent and grandparent are being taken on by the same individual(s). While this situation is not entirely new, the numbers are increasing significantly. From 1970 to 1997 the number of grandparents raising their grandchildren went up 76 percent from 2.2 million to 3.9 million and continues to climb steadily. The grandparents can be the primary caregivers for periods of at least six months but often times longer. About 1.3 million of these grandparents are married couples, 1.1 million are single grandmothers, and 157,000 are grandfathers. This crosses all ethnic lines as well with 51 percent of the grandparents being Caucasian, 38 percent African-American and 13 percent Hispanic.

There are many reasons a grandparent steps in to take care of their grandchildren. Some of the most common reasons a grandparent steps in includes: death of the child's parents, incarceration of parents, substance abuse problems, parents becoming unemployed, HIV/AIDS, teen pregnancy, or incidents of violence in the family. This new role being played out by grandparents has caused some challenges and, at times, problems. The most common challenges include feelings of helplessness and financial strains. According to information available on the Administration on Aging (www.aoa.gov), research indicates that seniors raising their children are 60 percent more likely to live in poverty than those who are not.

For those who are raising grandchildren, the federal government does offer help through the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. This is a part of the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 and can provide money to families if grandchildren are eligible for the benefits. This is a federal program but it is run through the state government. There are TANF grants for the children only and the traditional assistance which is issued to the adults caring for the child(ren). Information about TANF is available online at the American Association for Retired Persons(www.aarp.org).

Child-only grants are for the grandchild only and traditional TANF grants are for the grandparents. Most states will allow families to switch over to that grant from the one issued for the family. If you are accepting money from the regular grant, individuals must perform community service or have a job within two years. Some states may give less time because rules vary state to state. Of course, there are exceptions and extensions such as the following: the granchild(ren) is/are younger than 12 months or you cannot find childcare for a grandchild under 6 years old. With a child-only grant, there are no work requirements, the grandchild can probably get benefits for more than five years but in most states one will receive less money than the traditional grant.

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