Jeff Rubin: More Kentucky grandparents are raising grandchildren, leading the trend nationally

Over 56,000 children are being raised by grandparents in Kentucky according to a fact sheet posted by Kinship Families Coalition. This has earned our state the dubious distinction of leading the nation in a growing and disturbing trend of Grandparents raising Grandchildren.

To put this in perspective, The National Center on Grandfamilies, (grandparents and other relatives raising grandchildren) a program of Generations United, places the number of children living with “Grandfamilies” at 7.8 million, of whom some 2.6 million are exclusively being raised by grandparents.

Becoming the primary provider for a grandchild can result from a variety of reasons: parental death; parental substance abuse; military deployment; abuse and neglect; job loss; incarceration; or a parent’s physical or mental health just to name a few. Often without warning or advanced preparation, the provider and child can be impacted in ways that present obstacles and opportunities that neither may have ever imagined.

Grandparents and relatives typically face unique challenges in assuming primary care. Many lack a legal relationship to the children and cannot access educational enrollment, school services; immunizations; or health care on their behalf. Others may have a legal relationship, but taking on sudden caregiver responsibilities often means they do not have suitable housing.

Many are in their prime savings years and rather than continuing to save, they find themselves providing for their grandchildren. For retired caregivers living on fixed income, they may not have the finances to take on the many extra expenses of raising children.

According to a 2014 Kinship care report, out of the total number of grandparents primarily responsible for grandchildren nationwide, 58 percent were still in the workforce; another 21 percent lived below the poverty line; 26 percent had their own disability; 42 percent had been providing care for five years or more; and 39 percent were over the age of 60.

Comparing this to available statistics for Kentucky revealed that 72 percent of grandparents in Kentucky are under the age of 60; 25 percent live in poverty; 49 percent have no parents of children living in the home; and one in three grandchildren were under the age of six.

Despite the many challenges that older caregivers face, research shows that children raised in kinship care keep ties to families, experience less trauma at parental separation, have fewer educational disruptions, and experience fewer behavioral problems. Caregivers also report experiencing benefits derived from an ongoing connection with their grandchildren, including an increased sense of purpose in life.

An added value not often considered by the general public is the estimated $4 billion that grandparents and other relatives save taxpayers each year by raising and keeping children out of foster care. Yet the type of assistance that many primary providers need is still geared towards foster care placement.

According to a recent report from Generations United, while all states had at least one supportive law or policy for grandfamilies, “almost 65 percent of children in grandfamilies, or kinship care, live in states with only half or less of the key laws and policies designed to support them.”

Our children deserve better.

For information on state laws and policies affecting grandfamilies visit the Grandfamilies State Law and Policy Resource Center at www.grandfamilies.org.

Jeff Rubin is an advocate and adviser on community and aging issues, having spent more than 20 years as a director and facilitator of community service programs at the local, state and national levels. An advocate for “Age-friendly” and “Livable” communities, Rubin is leading an initiative in Berea. He invites your questions, comments and interest and can be reached at Jeffrubin@windstream.net.