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Census: More Kids Living With Grandparents
Filed under: In The News
Credit: Getty Images
The U.S. Census Bureau released a report June 28 that reveals the number of children living with one or more grandparent has increased 64 percent since 1991.
USA Today reports 7.8 million children lived with at least one grandparent in 2009, compared with 4.7 million in 1991.
White kids living with at least one grandparent jumped from 5 percent to 9 percent. Among blacks kids, the number rose from 15 percent to 17 percent, and for Hispanic children, it increased from 12 percent to 14 percent.
Among all of the children living with a grandparent, USA Today reports three-quarters (76 percent) also had at least one parent in the household.
"There's absolutely no question it's been on the rise because of the recession," Gary Drevitch, the editor of Grandparents.com, tells the newspaper.
"What's been interesting is that in the past, you imagine grandparents moving in with their adult children and grandchildren because they could no longer maintain their own home," he adds. "The trend during the recession has been multigenerational households created because adult children have moved in with the grandparents. It's adult children struggling in the economy."
Donna Butts, the executive director of Generations United, a group that focuses on inter-generational programs and policies, agrees.
"If there's anything good that's come out of this economic time, it's that we realize we need each other," she tells the newspaper.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
7-01-2011 @ 2:32PM
Marina said...I never expected to have anyone home now but my 13 yr old son with my other children all adults. This article is truer than true. My adult kids are struggling. One daughter has no job but she's going to school in the fall - thank God for Student Aid! Another daughter is pregnant, husband left to chase women a few months ago. I have raised her first since day one, he is now 3. They're all living with us. Add that I am disabled on SSD and my husband supports us all. BEST thing is my husband's job is thriving, praise God! True though that we are all closer for it. (AOL pleasee get rid of this spam!!)
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7-01-2011 @ 7:52PM
TERRI said...Todays parents have become terribly irresponsible -- its pathetic because they can still manage to piss away money on their own extra curricular activities and hobbies but can't properly manage and take care of their own family.
7-01-2011 @ 9:55PM
Bev said...You said one daughter is going to school so where is the Father? Who is paying for her schooling, the taxpayers? The second daughter is pregnant and has a husband is gone and chasing women. Did she know he was a woman chaser when she got pregnant? Sounds like you are making a lot of excuses for your children. Maybe less excuses and letting them know what there responsiblities are might work better.
7-01-2011 @ 3:02PM
earl said...We raised our g.son until he was 4. It was a blessing, stressful but well worth the stress. I have found out that raising children in your 30's and 40's is much easier. The comment about not being much smarter than your average 4 yr old is wrong for our case. By 4 he would help with oil changes, steer the lawn tractor, rake the yard, bait a hook, remove his own catch, clean his room, knew the alphabet, could count to 20 in English and to 10 in Spanish, aim and fire accurately a paint ball gun and reload it, pump gas into the truck, check the oil, help gmaw cook. He was a great learner. Eager too.
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7-01-2011 @ 4:15PM
qsfoxx said...Over 70 per cent of black children are born out of wedlock, and many black teenage girls cannot wait to have a baby. It's a cultural thing. In South Carolina many unwed black mothers turn over their infants to the welfare department, and after one or two days the grandmother shows up and take the infant as a foster child. Thus, the teen unwed mother gets to live with her child, and the public gets to foot the bill each month in the form of foster child payments.
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7-01-2011 @ 4:32PM
holly rae said...you are implying a scam, what i hear is a story about a family in trouble. also i am sure this cant go on indefinitly
7-02-2011 @ 12:50AM
Holly said...Of course, it's a scam. In my state, you can only get assistance without working until the child is 6. By having the grandparents take the child as a foster kid, they get paid by the state to raise the child until it's 18. The average working stiff is naive when it comes to getting government help, but those in the assistance class are really savy on how to work the system.
7-02-2011 @ 7:35AM
Renee said...Yes Holly, it is a scam. That's the whole point. It goes on all the time. qsfoxx is correct. They do this so they can get a check. It's pathetic how they work the system, but they do, and....they get by with it. It's my and your tax dollars we're talking about. We should be upset!!
7-01-2011 @ 11:56PM
Ron said...My wife and I invited our granddaughter and her husband to move out of Idaho and move in with us. We thought it would be for a short time, like 6 to 8 months. Well it has been over 2 yrs. and an addition of a baby, a great-granddaughter, who is now 15 months old. She is a very active and curious kid and I have become a 73 yr,
old Nanny. There have been a few strenuous moments and it is somewhat crowded but we have a large house. The toughest time for us is they seem to bury themselves on their level in the family room and the babies bedroom instead of acting like family. We realize they need their privacy and time together without "nosey grandparents". They both work as does my wife and I do volunteer work. The hardest thing to get my granddaughter to do is advise me of her schedule so I can adjust my activities accordingly. No, they do not pay rent but the grandson-in-law does try to help with the yard work etc. They are trying to save up money so they can buy a house, of course this will be with our very willing help. I hope this happens soon because the relationship is getting a little strained. I am starting to feel like I am being taken advantage of and it is becoming more and more difficult to pursue my own interests. This is especially difficult with a VERY active and curious grtgrdaughter who is literally into everything. How many out there are in this postion with 3 generations living in the same household and what have your problems been and how have you handled them?
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7-02-2011 @ 7:51AM
Jennifer said...Your first mistake was inviting them to live with you. It is rare that 2 families can exist under the same roof. Your second mistake was letting them do this rent free. Living free is not realistic until you pay your home off and even then you have insurance and taxes to pay. This free ride you have given them is your own fault and should be stopped. The third mistake goes hand in hand with the second one. Adults live below their means in order to save money for a house, and do so sometimes for many years. They need to do that. Have they shown you their savings for a house? I would be willing to bet it's zero. An FHA loan only requires 3.5% out of pocket and I know they can find something in Idaho. That's only $3500 down on a $100,000 home. If rent in your area was $500 a month, they could have had that down payment in 7 months. Plus they can get the seller to pay closing. Fourth and last - your granddaughter must be told she has to provide you a schedule so you can lead your own life or they need to leave. She is taking advantage of you, even if it's just from being inconsiderate.
Ron, it doesn't take someone to live in this situation to see the forest for the trees. Your granddaughter is enjoying all the fun of being a married adult but not the full responsibility. It will take some courage, but be firm and tell her the status quo isn't working out. If she balks, you need to bring in her parent (your son or daughter) and resolve the issue. Best of luck!
7-01-2011 @ 6:04PM
Barbara Sanders said...Is this something "new" to report????? This has been going on for decades.....a large segment of the population unable to care for their offspring and then dumping them on their parents, so they can "work" or "party",or whatever....early marriages, early pregnancies,etc.contribute to this phenonman. The poor parents end up raising a 2nd family in their OLD age, which is a time, they should be spending their time doing for THEMSELVES and not saddled down with the grandkids.. not b/c they don't "love" them.. but they SHOULD NOT have to raise them!!!
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7-01-2011 @ 8:13PM
TenaciousTexan said...The recession?? NOT!! I think the reason is there are more and more parents simply ignoring their responsibilities as parents.
I see several friends raising their grandchildren and it has NOTHING to do with money issues. It is because the parents want to go party,do drugs and live like rock stars. They spend money on booze and clothes, but not on taking their child to the doctor or groceries. The grandparents are stepping in to make sure the kids eat, go to school and have some sense of stability.
The grandparents are saving the kids from a crappy childhood and the parents should be ashamed of themselves, but they aren't...
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7-03-2011 @ 5:08AM
susie said...If you have kids you need to learn how to take care of them their YOUR kids like it or not. Remember your parents are getting older and they need your help NOT your problems if the kid is 18 years old time to grow up and get a job and out the house and learn life Remember you fall and you get up and learn it took 2 to make the kids now 2 to raise the kids NO BUTTTTTTTTTTTTS!!!!!!!!!!!!! LEARN
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7-01-2011 @ 9:48PM
Bev said...As morals and values worsen there are more adults pawning their responsibilities on their parents. Many people who have children want want want and put themselves in situations due to their selfishness and thinking they deserve everything now then they move in with their parents and expect them to take on the extra burden of supporting them and their kids. I have a grown married daughter and a grown married son. Both are responsible adults and both have children. They take care of their responsiblities and I am the Grandmother who loves having the kids over but the responsiblity of bringing the kids up is theirs.
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7-02-2011 @ 7:08AM
Victoria said...And the children will be forever branded their mothers mistake. What a way to go through life. As for grandparents raising kids, this irrisponsible generation will be the next batch of grandparents. Do you think they will care for thier grandkids when they wouldn't take care of their own children. God help us and God help the children. Orphans before they are born.
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7-02-2011 @ 2:54AM
caugrl said...Many of you are jumping to the conclusion that people who must move back in with their parents are not doing their job of raising their own kids and are lazy. The multigenerational concept has been going on for decades in Hawaii. When your median price for a no-frills house is 600,000+ and take home pay for teachers is 2,000 a month what do you expect? (That was prior to our new contract where we have lost another 5% and medical co-pay went up by 20%). The cost of renting an apartment here is more than one paycheck, so people can't even qualify for a rental. I had to move back in with my parents and I have a full time job. I take care of both of my kids and they are in care when I am not at work. I did make the mistake of marrying a guy who after 9 years of marriage and 2 kids decided that he didn't want to be a dad or married for that matter. So, I guess that is my fault for not knowing what was deep in his heart- but who really does know what is really in the hearts of others who don't tell you the truth until it is too late? This situation is not where I thought I would be in my 30's, but it is my reality. I wish I could afford to move out and be independant, but that is not a reality of our economy. I could work two part time jobd like I used to, but it would not make sense because the extra costs in childcare would be more than I would make. I hope that home prices will go down and pay will go up, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.
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7-02-2011 @ 3:29AM
caugrl said...I meant to put they are in care when I am at work. Otherwise, they are with me.
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