Abstract

In the United States, the majority of custodial grandparents are raising their grandchildren without a legal relationship. The lack of a legal relationship (i.e., foster care, custody, adoption) is a barrier for obtaining services and has resulted in limited access to information and public services, inadequate financial assistance, and difficulty providing medical and educational consent. This situation arises not only as a consequence of eligibility criteria, but also because children being raised by custodial grandparents remain outside the child welfare system. Federal and state policies were not designed for this population; subsequently, the majority of grandparent caregivers remain without access to services and support. In this article, perceptions of custodial grandparents concerning family obligations and the child welfare system as a barrier to pursuing a legal relationship are reviewed. Challenges with existing financial and health services, educational needs of grandparents and providers, and suggestions for policy changes are presented.

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Authors

Van Etten D, Gautam R

Institution

Department of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA, USA. Deborah_VanEtten@uml.edu

Source

Journal of gerontological nursing 38:6 2012 Jun pg 18-22

MeSH

Aged
Child
Family
Financing, Personal
Health Policy
Humans
Insurance, Health
Intergenerational Relations
Legal Guardians
Needs Assessment
Social Security
United States

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

22587642