Symbiotic Caregivers: A Qualitative Case Study of African American Custodial Grandparents and Their Grandchildren

Abstract

Thanks and prayers for my little sister, Chinwendu. Your brief life experience was an inspiration to me during preparation of this dissertation. You will continue to have a special place in my heart. My deepest thanks go to my wonderful husband, Emmanuel, my partner in life. You believed in me, supported, and encouraged me. Thank you for your patience during this endeavor. Many thanks to my lovely children, Briana Chiamaka, Brittany Ijeoma, Brian Igweze, and Brandon Chukwuka. Your smiles, hugs, and more especially those "I love you" and "we are here for you" notes really helped mommy. I love you all so much! Special thanks to my parents, Cornelius and Josephine Okereke. I appreciate your love, support and understanding. Thank you for instilling in me and my siblings the importance of education. Much appreciation also goes to my parents-in-law, Hillary and Grace Nwokeji. You are more than parents-in-law to me. Thank you for your unconditional love, support, and encouragement. Special gratitude goes to my brothers and sisters, Chidi, Tobechukwu, Ugonna, Nneoma, and Ezenwanyi. Thank you so much for your encouragement, patience, and support. The same goes to my brothers-and sister in-law.

‘It's not fair’: Custodial grandparents' access to services and supports in Australia

“…When considering the impacts of poverty, race is an important intersecting factor. Kelch-Oliver (2011) and Nwokeji (2009) both report that poverty was often a factor in African-American grandmothers needing to take on care of grandchildren, and remained a significant source of distress for African-American grandfamilies. Mendoza et al (2018) reviewed the published research on Latino grandparents' challenges and strengths and remarked that, although the influence of poverty is discussed, there is insufficient evidence regarding existing and potential outcomes of financial assistance.…”