1. Running head: GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN 1
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: The Stressors Grandparents Face
Taylor Kring
DFST 4353.001
10/3/15
University of North Texas

2. GRANDPARNETS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN 2
Introduction
Custodial grandparents who are raising their grandchildren fulltime are becoming
extremely more common (Hayslip & Kaminski, 2005a). The 2000 U.S. Census determined that
approximately 2,350,000 grandparents were raising their grandchildren (Fuller-Thomson &
Minkler, 2003). This is not just an issue dealt with in the United States, it is occurring in many
different countries (Hadfield, 2014). Hadfield (2014) offered data concerning Canada that
showed a 20% increase from 1991 to 2001 on the number of children being raised by
grandparents. Along with the variety of countries experiencing this increase, the reasons for this
varies as well (Hadfield, 2014). Not just focusing on the United States and Canada, but Kenya is
also one of the many places that deals with this problem. One of the main reasons it is such an
issue in Kenya is that it relates to the increasing number of orphans due to the HIV/AIDS
epidemic (Ice, Zidron, & Juma, 2008). Hadfield (2008) also presented some of the common
responsibilities of raising their grandchildren, such as incarceration, death, divorce, abuse, teen
pregnancy and military involvement. No matter the reason, grandparents are struggling with this
responsibility. This tends to cause health issues, some very serious, as well as all the added
responsibility to raising the child or children (Hayslip & Kaminski, 2005b).
This review will focus on the multiple stressors that grandparents face in the years of
raising their grandchild. The stressors are not just the everyday financial struggle but also include
health issues it can cause the grandparents, as well as the grandparents missing out on their social
and senior adult lives too and more. For many grandparents, they are not aware of the help
offered and do not have the proper resources either. It is not as easy or simple many think since
they have already raised a child or children before.

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Theoretical Framework
Every family has their own stress or issues they have to deal with, but when it comes to
grandparents having to raise their grandchildren, different types of stressors are experienced.
Though there are still everyday financial insecurities, employment issues, and family conflicts,
grandparents are more at risk of developing health problems that are caused when they’re dealt
the card of having to raise their grandchild or grandchildren (Leder, Grindstead, & Torres, 2007).
When grandparents have to quickly change from a grandparent to the parent role, there is so
much more expected of them. Grandparents need more energy and motivation, as well as more
positive physical and mental health, to take on this task (Leder, Grindstead, & Torres, 2007).
Even though grandparents need all this energy and positivity, there is research that shows that
grandparents who have, or are raising grandchildren, show more signs of depression and health
issues compared to grandparents that have never had to raise a grandchild (Sands & Goldberg-
Glen, 2000). Minkler, etc (1997) researched showed there are grandparents who raised their
grandchild or grandchildren, were at a higher risk of depression.
When thinking about family stress, one theory stands as the foundation of family stress
theory, Reuben Hill’s ABC-X model of family stress (Hill, 1949). The ABC-X model is used to
break down the issue to help find the issue of the stress and ways to cope with the stressful
situation. In Hill’s model, the A represents the stressor event, B represents the family resources or
strengths, and C represents the family’s perception of the event, or how they define or attribute
meaning to the event. When an event or stressor occurs and the family is not immediately able to
solve the problem, it leads to a crisis, or the X component of the model (Smith & Hamon, 2012).
When putting this model into perspective of grandparents raising their grandchildren, it is
interesting to see how well you can tell what caused the stress and if it is going to lead to a crisis

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or if it can be resolved quickly. The ambiguous stressor was identified by Boss as one of the
three kinds or types of stressor events. This ambiguous stressor is one that you do not know its
cause, how long this will be happening, or what is instore for taking on this type of stress (Boss,
2002). Though grandparents would never say that they see their grandchild or grandchildren as a
stressor in their life when having to raise them, it’s exactly what they are to about the 2.4 million
grandparents who were raising their grandchildren (Hayslip and Kaminski, 2005b). According to
the model, grandchildren can also be seen as a chronic stressor. Not because of the fact
grandparents are raising the grandchildren, but because of what it limits the grandparents to do
and not do, as well as the toll taken on by the grandparents. With the grandchildren coming in
and the grandparents having to deal with the stress, the grandparents most times cannot find
ways and resources to help adapt. When they are unable to find the quick solution, the
grandparents are usually in the crisis, or X, step (Smith & Hamon, 2009). This eventually can be
solved, but it is not as quickly as grandparents would like.
If it was as easy a solving a simple problem, then Social Exchange Theory would seem to
fit best. However, after looking at the ABC-X Model and Social Exchange Theory side by side,
it is clear to see why the ABC-X Model is the perfect fit. Grandparents do not want to see their
grandchildren as stressors, so they do what they can to make things easier on everyone. With
ABC-X Model, there are break downs of each step and more break downs of the break downs,
while Social Exchange Theory is almost a never ending circle. Social Exchange Theory solves
things with more yes and no answers, which that tells you what to do next. The ABC-X Model
consist more of finding a solution or adapting to the situation to create the solution (Smith &
Hamon, 2009).

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Review of the Literature
When it comes to finding research on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, one finds a
similar theme on how the articles are written and what they are written about. The common
problem that researchers find that Grandparents struggle with is their own health. Researchers in
many of these articles have found that when grandparents are given the extra stressor of taking
on the role of raising their grandchild, their health starts to decline (Leder, Grindstead, & Torres,
2007). Lee, Colditz, Berkman, and Kawachi (2003) found that “high levels” of caring for
grandchildren, (i.e., 9 hours per week) increased women’s risk of coronary heart disease over
time. In reviewing the research from Hayslip and Kaminiski (2005b) the reader can tell that not
only is it the health that is greatly affected by the stress of raising the grandchildren, it is also the
lack of financial and social support too. There is also research showing that the grandparents start
to feel as if they are the reason they are having to raise their grandchild or grandchildren
(Hayslip and Kaminiski 2005b).
Knowing this information, as well as having the research done on this, can help those
who may be going through this similar stage in their life. Not only do these articles show what
can go wrong with grandparent’s health, but also show what help is out there for them (Hayslip
and Kaminiski, 2005b). According to Hayslip and Kaminiski (2005b), there are several groups
available to help with one of the stressors that occur, the financial stressor. According to
Generations United (2004), the group “LEGACY (Living Equitably – Grandparents Aiding
Children and Youth) was passed by Congress in 2003 to train front-line staff to help
grandparents qualify for housing assistance and to provide financial help to those seeking to
remodel their homes to accommodate a grandchild” (Generations United, 2004). Many

6. GRANDPARNETS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN 6
grandparents struggle with the financial ability to take care of their grandchild or grandchildren
full time and remodeling to accommodate them isn’t easy either (Hayslip and Kaminiski, 2005b).
Though there is a positive to this all of this struggle and that is the grandparents growing
a better relationship with their grandchild that they are raising. Grandparents find it to be
“inherently rewarding” (Giarrusso, Sliverstein, & Feng, 2000), and enjoy having an “especially
close relationship with their custodial grandchild (Erhle & Day, 1994). It was even found that
90% of the custodial grandparents in a sample reported that they would still gladly take on the
responsibility of having to raise their grandchild if they were to have to do it over again (Hayslip
& Shore, 2000). These grandparents are taking on a task that they thought they would never have
to do but because they do, they can provide so much more than one would think. They can
“provide love, security, encouragement, and structure for” their grandchild or grandchildren
(Hayslip & Kaminiski, 2005b).
Implications
The review of literature pointed out the key points of what the researcher articles mainly
discuss the many different factors and stressors that grandparents will face when they are forced
with the task of raising their grandchildren. The implications for the grandparents and
grandchildren are similar but also very different.
Grandparents
As mentioned before, grandparents take on a whole new world when given the
responsibility of having to raise their grandchildren. When grandparents take on this
responsibility, they first feel a sense of panic. They are feeling like they have failed because their
child could not raise their child. With that guilt, they start to take on extra stress which causes

7. GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN 7
them extra problems. This has resulted into all the research on the grandparents and their health
problems. There are more programs and groups being created to help grandparents because they
need the help. If they are needed to take on this challenge, they need to be the best they can be,
mentally and physically, so that they can care for the grandchild (Hayslip & Kaminiski, 2005b).
Grandchildren
Grandparents aren’t the only people who are affected by this change, the grandchildren
are too. They may not encounter the same stressors that the grandparents do, but they do have
stressors. Being a child you have so much to learn and so much going on, but getting thrown the
curve ball of being put into their grandparents home for short time or even permanently, affects
their life. They have to get use to something that they have not been use to which can take time.
Conclusion/Summary
Much of the research on grandparents raising grandchildren show one common thing,
STRESS. The stress is inevitable. Taking on such a new role, not just grandparent but custodial
grandparent (Hayslip & Kaminiski, 2005a). Many of these studies show the different affects that
can happen to the grandparents, physically and financial. These tolls can have negative effects on
everyone. This research is trying to help show what can happen as well as show what is out there
for those to use. More research should explore the long term effects not only on the grandparents
but the grandchildren as well. This can show both sides of who are effected by this challenge and
what can be done to help (Hayslip and Kaminiski, 2005b).
While not much research has been done by the ABC-X Model, more research based on
that would show much more. This could help by providing more solid solutions to these stressors
and struggles that are faced by all in this situation. This topic being explored by this model, helps

8. GRANDPARNETS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN 8
by going more in depth rather than just looking for quick fixes (Smith & Hamon, 2009). Having
to take on the challenge of raising a grandchild is not bad, this can be a very positive change for
both the grandparents and grandchildren.

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