GRAND Magazine - November/December 2018 - 6

Who's watching the children?

Grandparents - the cornerstone of child care for children under the age of five
BY KATHY KINSNER

G

randparents play a huge part in
raising young children in the U.S.
In 2011, grandparents cared for
4.8 million grandchildren under the age of
5 while parents worked or went to school.
That's nearly one out of four preschool
children-as many as are enrolled in
formal child care!
For many families, trusted, affordable
child care is difficult to find and often the
cost is out of reach. Grandparents step in
to fill the gap-often eagerly, always with
love. One grandmother decided to retire
when she heard her son and daughterin-law discussing childcare options for
her grandson: "I don't want him to go to
the day care center. I would like to watch
him." A grandfather who shares the care
says he's grateful to be able experience his
grandson as a two-year-old and "just watch
him grow."
ZERO TO THREE shines a spotlight on
real-life families who share the care.
This fall, ZERO TO THREE introduces a
series of short films that tell the stories of
three families sharing child care between two
generations. In one, a grandmother moves
to a new neighborhood to provide her
daughter and grandson with a secure base

6 GRAND

NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2018

Keep the
conversation going:
Tell us about it. We want to hear

about your experiences sharing the care.
Post on Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag
#GrandparentsCare to tell us more.

Learn more! ZERO TO THREE has

the latest info on what's changed and what's
stayed the same since today's grandparents
were parents themselves. Free downloadable
handouts offer grandparents tips that build on
what they already know about: setting limits
with love, keeping the peace at mealtimes,
creating a safe space for babies to sleep, and
making the most of time with grandchildren.

Advocate. Be a big voice for little kids

with advocacy updates from ZERO TO THREE.
for a fresh start. In another, a couple juggles
two careers and a two-year-old, with an
assist from his mom and her dad. In a third,
a grandfather moves in with his son, daughter-in-law, and two grandsons under difficult
circumstances, and there are unexpected
benefits for all.

These are the stories of pick-ups and
drop-offs; naptimes, snacks and backyard boo-boos; compromise, gratitude
and joy. Take ten minutes to watch and
celebrate the invaluable contributions of
grandparents as caregivers in families like
yours.

Kathy Kinsner is Senior
Manager of Parenting
Resources at ZERO TO THREE,
a national non-profit serving
parents, care providers, and
children from birth through
preschool.

https://www.facebook.com/GRANDmagazine/ https://www.twitter.com/grandMmagazine http://www.zerotothree.org/grandparents http://www.zerotothree.org/grandparents https://www.zerotothree.org/policy-and-advocacy/advocacy https://www.zerotothree.org/our-team/kathy-kinsner https://www.zerotothree.org/ http://www.zerotothree.org/grandparentfilms https://www.zerotothree.org/ http://www.zerotothree.org/grandparentfilms http://www.zerotothree.org/grandparentfilms

GRAND Magazine - November/December 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - November/December 2018