Grandparents caregivers are some of the unsung heroes of our time. According to Zero to Three, grandmas and grandpas fill a big gap in childcare in the U.S., caring for 1 out of 4 children under five while parents work or go to school. That’s 4.8 million children. This is huge.
Grandparents Caregivers: A true gift
This growing phenomenon can be explained by multiple factors: parents working full-time, high cost of childcare or financial hardship for parents or grandparents. Regardless of causes, the perceived nuclear family is not as nuclear as one may think.
In a previous blogpost I’ve shared my experience and expressed my gratitude about living in a multi-generational household. Having grandparents involved in the daily lives of children bring a world of convenience and invaluable benefits; most of which do not lie in the material realm.
In 2017, Zero to Three, an organization very close to my heart, developed a series of resources for grandparents, parents, and professionals working with multigenerational families focused on “sharing the care.” You can find those resources here.
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Grandparents Caregivers: The Grand Plan
This year, Zero to Three, pursued their efforts with three short films, entitled The Grand Plan each profiling a family where a grandparent was providing regular child care—to allow parents to work, attend classes, or play a more active role in the community.
As beautifully described on their website “The circumstances are different from family to family. But the challenges they face, the gratitude they feel, and the support they’d find helpful are remarkably similar.”
I hope you enjoy those short films as much as I did.
Carrying on a Family Tradition
Room for One More
Mom, Grandma and me
About Zero to Three:
Zero to Three a national nonprofit organization that informs, trains and supports professionals, policymakers and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. Zerotothree.org emphasizes on the importance of nurturing relationships between caregivers and toddlers especially at the earliest stages of life.