Raising Grandchildren - by State

Here's a reference piece you grandparents who are raising grandkids. You aren't alone. Witness this chart from the last U. S. census. Let your legislators know you think there need to be some programs for these families.

Census 2000 Supplementary Survey: Grandparents with Own Grandchildren Under Age 18, by Poverty Status During the Previous 12 Months – Children's Defense Fund.

State

Number of grandparents living with own grandchildren under 18

Number of grandparents responsible for raising grandchildren

Total

Number in Poverty

Percent in Poverty

Alabama

87,059

50,159

10,272

20.5

Alaska

9,946

5,052

869

17.2

Arizona

109,577

49,274

7,917

16.1

Arkansas

55,573

32,286

8,512

26.4

California

866,415

289,546

46,218

16.0

Colorado

63,871

24,473

2,305

9.4

Connecticut

60,540

20,291

1,457

7.2

Delaware

20,465

8,524

--

--

District of Columbia

16,316

8,092

1,670

20.6

Florida

327,391

127,095

23,330

18.4

Georgia

197,476

85,208

18,799

22.1

Hawaii

43,985

11,605

688

5.9

Idaho

19,670

9,577

930

9.7

Illinois

266,204

103,112

16,582

16.1

Indiana

104,320

42,324

8,037

19.0

Iowa

32,805

15,568

1,731

11.1

Kansas

35,294

18,848

1,733

9.2

Kentucky

78,318

39,386

8,880

22.5

Louisiana

111,436

65,161

16,259

25.0

Maine

14,486

6,017

--

--

Maryland

118,470

51,398

7,158

13.9

Massachusetts

90,957

31,078

4,092

13.2

Michigan

170,575

66,350

7,903

11.9

Minnesota

47,679

18,885

3,890

20.6

Mississippi

71,896

39,355

10,158

25.8

Missouri

111,484

52,575

7,499

14.3

Montana

12,361

6,332

1,423

22.5

Nebraska

18,021

9,135

1,683

18.4

Nevada

41,206

18,856

--

--

New Hampshire

17,779

5,988

--

--

New Jersey

160,773

58,906

11,492

19.5

New Mexico

40,240

20,449

3,517

17.2

New York

410,195

139,287

32,611

23.4

North Carolina

154,928

86,482

17,959

20.8

North Dakota

6,116

4,097

849

20.7

Ohio

181,148

83,424

15,111

18.1

Oklahoma

62,861

31,875

7,858

24.7

Oregon

46,345

15,029

1,622

10.8

Pennsylvania

195,890

84,081

17,381

20.7

Rhode Island

16,876

4,744

--

--

South Carolina

96,981

53,703

14,389

26.8

South Dakota

5,383

2,353

--

--

Tennessee

108,742

46,060

9,917

21.5

Texas

534,729

243,993

62,075

25.4

Utah

29,407

9,191

--

--

Vermont

5,965

2,960

--

--

Virginia

135,159

62,994

9,923

15.8

Washington

87,205

35,806

4,613

12.9

West Virginia

39,841

20,227

6,354

31.4

Wisconsin

59,305

30,076

2,531

8.4

Wyoming

6,044

3,190

414

13.0

United States

5,605,708

2,350,477

441,850

18.8

Rate in typical (median) state

18.4

-- Sample size is too small to permit a reliable estimate.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, unpublished tables. Calculations by the Children's Defense Fund.

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