GOODMAN Catherine Chase, POTTS Marilyn Kay, PASZTOR Ellen Mayers
Journal article citation:
Children and Youth Services Review, 29(4), April 2007, pp.428-441.
Publisher:
Elsevier
This study examined needs, formal service utilization, informal support, and caregiver burden among grandmothers parenting grandchildren. Two groups were compared: 73 public and 108 private caregivers (with vs. without child welfare system involvement). Public caregivers used more formal services, particularly basic subsistence and legal services, suggesting greater access. Higher levels of need were associated with higher levels of caregiver burden. Among low need caregivers only, greater service utilization was associated with higher burden; among private caregivers only, more informal support was associated with lower burden.
This study examined needs, formal service utilization, informal support, and caregiver burden among grandmothers parenting grandchildren. Two groups were compared: 73 public and 108 private caregivers (with vs. without child welfare system involvement). Public caregivers used more formal services, particularly basic subsistence and legal services, suggesting greater access. Higher levels of need were associated with higher levels of caregiver burden. Among low need caregivers only, greater service utilization was associated with higher burden; among private caregivers only, more informal support was associated with lower burden.
Subject terms:
access to services, carers, children, grandparents;
This policy brief is based on the workshop held at Queen’s University Belfast to explore grandparents’ experiences of kinship care from different perspectives, including research, policy and personal experience. It summarises the main issues from the presentations and examines the themes that emerged from the discussions. These cover: gender roles, financial pressures and taking on the role of kinship carer unexpectedly. The briefing shows that kinship carers provide a valuable resource to families and that any barriers or inequalities carers face must be recognised and tackled. The workshop discussions also show that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach does not work in kinship care, because each situation is so unique. It calls for more progress to support older kingship carers in the UK, especially older male carers which are missing from policy debates.
(Edited publisher abstract)
This policy brief is based on the workshop held at Queen’s University Belfast to explore grandparents’ experiences of kinship care from different perspectives, including research, policy and personal experience. It summarises the main issues from the presentations and examines the themes that emerged from the discussions. These cover: gender roles, financial pressures and taking on the role of kinship carer unexpectedly. The briefing shows that kinship carers provide a valuable resource to families and that any barriers or inequalities carers face must be recognised and tackled. The workshop discussions also show that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach does not work in kinship care, because each situation is so unique. It calls for more progress to support older kingship carers in the UK, especially older male carers which are missing from policy debates.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
kinship care, older people, grandparents, foster care, access to services;
HALL Jordan, ASHLEY Cathy, JOHNSTON Jessica, MARTIN Samuel
Publisher:
Family Rights Group
Publication year:
2021
Place of publication:
London
This report is an analysis of survey data to find out how kinship care households are coping in the latest stage of the pandemic. The survey heard from 605 respondents, who are raising 889 kinship children and a further 238 birth children. Most respondents are grandparents raising their grandchildren and nearly 4 in 10 are single households. The report includes a number of recommendations
(Edited publisher abstract)
This report is an analysis of survey data to find out how kinship care households are coping in the latest stage of the pandemic. The survey heard from 605 respondents, who are raising 889 kinship children and a further 238 birth children. Most respondents are grandparents raising their grandchildren and nearly 4 in 10 are single households. The report includes a number of recommendations for immediate action for the UK Government and the Scottish and Welsh Governments to consider. It will inform the work of Family Rights Group, the Parliamentary Taskforce, and the Kinship Care Alliance. The survey reveals that a quarter of kinship carers said that they have a limiting long-term illness or disability; over a third (36%) have other caring responsibilities outside of the home, a large number of which were for elderly parents or parents in law; almost half of children being raised by kinship carers (49%) have special needs or disabilities; more than half of kinship care placements have come about as a result of parental drug or alcohol misuse and 4 in 10 cited parental mental ill health as the reason. A third of respondents have received no support during the course of the pandemic and 87% stated they had not received any support maintaining contact between the children and parents/family members. Two thirds of families had been offered a school place during this latest lockdown but 10% had not been offered a place but indicated that they would like one. A third (32%) of kinship families indicated they would find support with equipment for remote learning helpful but had not been offered it. 37% expressed the same wish for help with access to broadband/data for remote learning.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
surveys, carer views, Covid-19, kinship care, access to services, grandparents;
Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 7(2-3), 2009, pp.291-305.
Publisher:
Routledge
Place of publication:
Philadelphia
This paper highlights the experiences of grandparents and other relatives living in rural Maine raising children affected by substance abuse. Data are presented in the context of programme evaluation findings from a three-year effort consisting of surveys administered to caregivers and professionals. Findings indicated that caregivers were satisfied with the services they receive when they were
This paper highlights the experiences of grandparents and other relatives living in rural Maine raising children affected by substance abuse. Data are presented in the context of programme evaluation findings from a three-year effort consisting of surveys administered to caregivers and professionals. Findings indicated that caregivers were satisfied with the services they receive when they were delivered in a manner that is respectful of their individual needs and rural traditions and when services extend beyond information and referral. Results of the evaluation contribute to the tenets of the promising practice of low-barrier service provision and the positive effect that support had on the well-being of rural kinship families. Innovative technologies and approaches in service provision not only increased awareness of resources among caregivers and professionals, but also led to the application of such knowledge to both more effective access to services and minimisation of service barriers for rural families. Results also underscored that research, when configured in a way that is flexible and meaningful, creates a valuable opportunity to gain insight from a traditionally difficult to reach population.
Subject terms:
kinship care, risk, rural areas, substance misuse, young people, access to services, grandparents;
Dementia: the International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 1(2), June 2002, pp.213-225.
Publisher:
Sage
This article presents a case study of a nisei (second-generation)-headed Japanese Canadian family in which the father was referred for clinical evaluation at a dementia clinic and diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. This case study identifies the traditional issei (first-generation) Japanese Canadian values of filial obligation and shame and awareness of the father's life history as salient mediators in family members' interpretations of dementia symptoms. A discussion of the role of the clinical evaluation in arbitrating between divergent interpretations of the nature of the father's disruptive behavior among family members is included.
This article presents a case study of a nisei (second-generation)-headed Japanese Canadian family in which the father was referred for clinical evaluation at a dementia clinic and diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. This case study identifies the traditional issei (first-generation) Japanese Canadian values of filial obligation and shame and awareness of the father's life history as salient mediators in family members' interpretations of dementia symptoms. A discussion of the role of the clinical evaluation in arbitrating between divergent interpretations of the nature of the father's disruptive behavior among family members is included.
Subject terms:
access to services, Alzheimers disease, challenging behaviour, cultural identity, families, grandparents;
Analyses the results of survey responses from 1,114 kinship carers living in the UK, focusing the point at which friends or family became kinship carers. The survey includes information on why kinship carers took on their role, their relationship with the child, and the availability of advice and financial support. The survey found that almost half of kinship carers took on the role in a time of crisis. Despite the involvement of children's services, 84 per cent of kinship carers responding to the survey felt they did not get the advice and information they needed when the child moved in. In addition, 72 per cent still feeling they do not receive the advice and information they need. The report makes four recommendations. These include for kinship carers to have access to independent information and advice; to be able to request an assessment of their family's support needs; and to have access to specialist and independent support.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Analyses the results of survey responses from 1,114 kinship carers living in the UK, focusing the point at which friends or family became kinship carers. The survey includes information on why kinship carers took on their role, their relationship with the child, and the availability of advice and financial support. The survey found that almost half of kinship carers took on the role in a time of crisis. Despite the involvement of children's services, 84 per cent of kinship carers responding to the survey felt they did not get the advice and information they needed when the child moved in. In addition, 72 per cent still feeling they do not receive the advice and information they need. The report makes four recommendations. These include for kinship carers to have access to independent information and advice; to be able to request an assessment of their family's support needs; and to have access to specialist and independent support.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
surveys, grandparents, access to information, access to services, families, kinship care, personal finance, needs, information needs;
This report analyses the results of survey responses from 1,139 kinship carers living in the UK. The survey includes information on the financial and practical support carers receive and the stresses associated with kinship care, including their impact on the health and wellbeing of kinship carers. The survey found that only 14 percent of respondents felt they were getting the support they need to bring up their children and only 11 percent felt they were getting the emotional support they need. The majority of kinship carers also felt they had insufficient information from their local authority, insufficient financial support and were worried about their mental and physical health and their ability to carry out their kinship care role. The report makes four recommendations. These are for kinship care should have the same status as other routes to permanence; for kinship carers to have access to free advice, information and support when taking on children; better financial, practical and emotional support for kinship carers; and for greater awareness of the situation of young people in kinship care.
(Edited publisher abstract)
This report analyses the results of survey responses from 1,139 kinship carers living in the UK. The survey includes information on the financial and practical support carers receive and the stresses associated with kinship care, including their impact on the health and wellbeing of kinship carers. The survey found that only 14 percent of respondents felt they were getting the support they need to bring up their children and only 11 percent felt they were getting the emotional support they need. The majority of kinship carers also felt they had insufficient information from their local authority, insufficient financial support and were worried about their mental and physical health and their ability to carry out their kinship care role. The report makes four recommendations. These are for kinship care should have the same status as other routes to permanence; for kinship carers to have access to free advice, information and support when taking on children; better financial, practical and emotional support for kinship carers; and for greater awareness of the situation of young people in kinship care.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
kinship care, grandparents, surveys, families, health, mental health, access to information, personal finance, service provision, access to services;
Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 7(2-3), 2009, pp.225-242.
Publisher:
Routledge
Place of publication:
Philadelphia
The Georgia Division of Aging Services initiated the Kinship Care Program to provide services to grandparents raising grandchildren throughout Georgia's 12 regional Area Agencies on Aging. Many of the grandparents who receive Division of Aging Services reside in rural communities. The study, conducted with 30 grandparents in four rural Kinship Care Program sites, assessed the impact of the programme among rural grandparents. Findings indicated that grandparents had concerns about their own health and the health of their grandchildren and faced many challenges related to child rearing. Challenges included limited services for children with disabilities, lack of assistance with permanency planning and other legal issues related to adoption, and insensitive service providers. The results showed that grandparents felt isolated and marginalised within the community. Many grandparents reported that the most beneficial service they received from the Kinship Care programme was the psychological support and information exchange provided by support groups. Barriers to support group participation, such as lack of transportation and child care services and lack of options for intergenerational
The Georgia Division of Aging Services initiated the Kinship Care Program to provide services to grandparents raising grandchildren throughout Georgia's 12 regional Area Agencies on Aging. Many of the grandparents who receive Division of Aging Services reside in rural communities. The study, conducted with 30 grandparents in four rural Kinship Care Program sites, assessed the impact of the programme among rural grandparents. Findings indicated that grandparents had concerns about their own health and the health of their grandchildren and faced many challenges related to child rearing. Challenges included limited services for children with disabilities, lack of assistance with permanency planning and other legal issues related to adoption, and insensitive service providers. The results showed that grandparents felt isolated and marginalised within the community. Many grandparents reported that the most beneficial service they received from the Kinship Care programme was the psychological support and information exchange provided by support groups. Barriers to support group participation, such as lack of transportation and child care services and lack of options for intergenerational activities were identified as service gaps.
Subject terms:
kinship care, needs, parenting, rural areas, social care provision, access to services, children, grandparents;
Families in Society, 90(2), April 2009, pp.167-175.
Publisher:
The Alliance for Children and Families
... mental health needs and an interconnectedness between grandchildren’s and their grandparent caregivers’ well-being. In the survey component, service providers described problems highly consistent with those reported by grandmothers, including school-related or attention-related concerns among children and depression, stress, and frustration among grandparents. Findings highlight implications
Research shows that a substantial number of grandparent caregivers are caring for children with developmental delays or emotional or behavioural problems, and that many caregivers have clinical levels of depression. This study explores grandparent-caregiver families’ mental health needs as well as use of and barriers to accessing mental health services. Interviews with families revealed unmet mental health needs and an interconnectedness between grandchildren’s and their grandparent caregivers’ well-being. In the survey component, service providers described problems highly consistent with those reported by grandmothers, including school-related or attention-related concerns among children and depression, stress, and frustration among grandparents. Findings highlight implications for practitioners and policymakers regarding service access, expectations about services, and the fit between clients’ needs and the services available.
Subject terms:
intergenerational relationships, mental health problems, access to services, child care, children, depression, health needs, grandparents;
Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 33(3), 2000, pp.35-55.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Place of publication:
Philadelphia, USA
Using an informal data capture technique, 164 grandparents caring for 208 children with developmental delay or diagnosed disabilities were surveyed in New York City to determine their health status, emotional state, use of formal and informal services, and general life situation. The vast majority of grandparents were female and African-American. Their ages ranged from 40 to 82. The data show that for these grandparents caregiving was an all-consuming role, their lives were fraught with uncertainty and they could not access sufficient formal and informal supports, and they were constantly worried about the future.
Using an informal data capture technique, 164 grandparents caring for 208 children with developmental delay or diagnosed disabilities were surveyed in New York City to determine their health status, emotional state, use of formal and informal services, and general life situation. The vast majority of grandparents were female and African-American. Their ages ranged from 40 to 82. The data show that for these grandparents caregiving was an all-consuming role, their lives were fraught with uncertainty and they could not access sufficient formal and informal supports, and they were constantly worried about the future.
Subject terms:
learning disabilities, mental health, needs, physical disabilities, social care provision, stress, urban areas, access to services, child care, children, gender, health, grandparents;