Happy Grandparents Day!

This Sunday, September 8^th is Grandparents Day. Signed into law by presidential proclamation in 1978, the statute marks this day and lists three purposes for the designation.

1) to commemorate and pay respect to grandparents;

2) to recognize the importance that older people can have on the lives of the young;

3) to give grandparents the opportunity to show love and support for their children’s children.

Not nearly as established a celebration as Mother’s Day (1908) or Father’s Day (1910), Grandparent’s Day has nevertheless grown in significance over the years. Although not for reasons you might expect.

Did you know that taxpayers are saved an estimated $6B every year because grandparents and other relatives are raising and keeping grandchildren from entering into foster care?

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

The National Center on Grandfamilies, (grandparents and other relatives raising grandchildren), a Generations United program, says the number of children living with “Grandfamilies” at 7.8 million, of whom 2.7 million are exclusively raised by grandparents. Some sources place these figures even higher.

The reasons can be traced to a variety of issues including parental death, military deployment, job loss, or a parent’s physical or mental health. The reasons for this upward trend can be traced to substance abuse (40%) and child abuse (28%), including abandonment and neglect, by at least one or both parents.

Many who are in their prime savings years, rather than continuing to save, find themselves providing for their grandchildren. Retired caregivers living on a fixed income may not have money to raise grandchildren.

Despite the many hardships, the rewards of raising a grandchild may even be greater. Aside from added stability that a grandparent brings to a grandchild’s life, many acknowledge the value of the “special moments” that grandchildren bring into their lives. However, most often what they say is how the “smile of a child” makes it all worthwhile.

The desire to be needed and loved are universal traits, regardless of age or circumstance. Research shows that children raised in kinship care tend to maintain family ties, experience less trauma at parental separation, experience fewer educational disruptions, and endure fewer behavioral problems. Caregivers also report experiencing benefits derived from an ongoing connection with their grandchildren, including an increased “sense of purpose in life.”

To all of you lucky enough to still have a grandparent or grandparents in your lives, give them a hug, tell them how much you love them, and wish them a Happy Grandparents Day!

To learn more about resources for grandparents, click the links below.

https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2018/congress-grandparents-grandchildren-bill.html

https://sixtyandme.com/resources-for-grandparents-raising-grandchildren/

A Few Words of Wisdom from Grandparents and Grandchildren

“Be thankful for what you have, laugh a lot, have a sense of humor. Respect and be kind to one another.” – Elba, Age 100

“No matter how bad your life gets, do not push the people who love you away.” –Destiny Age, 13

“Just because of your age doesn’t mean you can’t make a change in the world.” – Sophia, Age 9