The Response of Custodial Care Networks to the Needs of Custodial Grandparents and their Adult Children: A Framework Based on Four Caregiving Situations

Abstract

The quality of the relationship between custodial grandparents or kin caregivers and the biological parent may have an affect on the ability of kin care or, "grandfamilies," to obtain help from social and educational services, including child welfare, and to provide a safe living arrangement for the child. 322 JOURNAL OF INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPSbiological parent, custodial grandparent(s), friends, other relatives, educational institutions, and social service organizations. The authors of this paper present a theoretical framework for assessing and addressing the ability of the custodial care network to help children in custodial care homes. Using questions that have been posed by custodial grandparents in a statewide, "relatives as parents program," in West Virginia, as evidence of need for information and assistance, the framework addresses four custodial care situations and makes suggestions for family preparation as well as resource development by social service and educational personnel. The underlying assumption is that the stronger the relationship between the biological parent/adult child and the custodial grandparent, the more likely it is that other members of the custodial care network can assist the family in raising the child without the child entering the formal child welfare system.

The Grandfamily Phenomenon: Grandparents Providing Intensive Care (Scoping Review)

“…Vztahy mezi pečujícími prarodiči a rodiči dítěte mají významný vliv na zvládnutí péče o dítě a na obtížnost umístění dítěte do nového prostředí (prarodičovské péče) (Cobb, Harbert, Nichols 2008). Děti, jež se velmi často stýkají s nerezidentními rodiči, přijímají mnohem lépe péči od těchto prarodičů než děti, které se s nerezidentními rodiči vídají jednou týdně nebo zřídka.…”

“…Také mohou přijít o kontakt s prarodiči ze strany nerezidentního rodiče (Albertini, Tosi 2018). Je třeba zjistit vztah rodin náhradní rodinné péče k členům jejich pečovatelské sítě, a to na základě složení rodinné jednotky, kvality mezigeneračních vztahů v rodině a rovněž z hlediska uspořádání péče (Cobb, Harbert, Nichols 2008).…”

Custodial Grandparents: The State of the Art and the Many Faces of this Contribution

“…Further research about this topic was offered by Kaminski, Hayslip, Wilson, and Castro (2008), who analyzed custodial grandparents, parents, and noncustodial grandparents using measures of parenting attitudes and parental adjustment. More recently, Nichols, Cobb, and Harbert (2008) presented a theoretical framework for assessing and addressing the ability of the custodial care network to help children in custodial care homes, and Cox (2008) presents empowerment as an intervention that can be effective in helping grandparents meet the challenges presented by their grandchildren and the communities in which the live. Keeping in mind all of this significant body of scholarship and with the intention of its further development, this special issue will try to provide a wide panorama of the most relevant and actual issues in the field of custodial grandparenting.…”