Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- August 21, 2007

Grandparents raising grandchildren on the increase (:47)

[Click here to listen, or right-click to download and save MP3 audio file]

Suggested Intro:

GRANDPARENTS HAVE ALWAYS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE LIVES OF CHILDREN. BUT RECENT RESEARCH FROM PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES POINTS TO GRANDPARENT-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS AS AN INCREASING TREND. MORE FROM GARY ABDULLAH:

Story:

(:18) BASED ON U.S. CENSUS AND OTHER DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, THE RESEARCH SHOWED A RISE IN THE NUMBER OF GRANDPARENTS WHO ARE THE PRIMARY CAREGIVERS FOR THEIR GRANDCHILDREN -- ESPECIALLY AMONG BLACK AND LATINO HOUSEHOLDS. PENN STATE RURAL SOCIOLOGIST ANASTASIA SNYDER SAYS THIS INFORMATION COULD FORCE GERIATRIC EXPERTS TO SEE SOCIAL SECURITY IN A NEW LIGHT:

Rider Actuality:
(:17) "OUR POINT IS THAT SOCIAL SECURITY INCOME IS IMPORTANT FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THESE EMERGING HOUSEHOLDS THAT INCLUDE ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO ARE CARING FOR CHILDREN. YOU KNOW, THERE'S THIS BIG PUBLIC-POLICY DEBATE ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY, AND WE'RE ENSURING OUR FUTURE, AND… YEAH, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE, BUT ALSO FOR SOME CHILDREN, AS WELL."

(:12) GRANDPARENT-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS USUALLY RESULT FROM A FAMILY IN CRISIS, SNYDER SAYS, AS ECONOMICS, ILLNESS OR OTHER FACTORS REMOVE PARENTS AND FORCE SENIORS TO ASSUME CHILDREARING DUTIES. FROM PENN STATE, I'M GARY ABDULLAH.

# # #

Learn more:

Ideas for Intergenerational Living (College of Agricultural Sciences newsletter in PDF format -- Adobe Acrobat Reader required)

[AIRWAVES] [STORY INDEX] [NEWS RELEASES] [RELATED LINKS] [HOME]