Transcript Strieder_Grandparents

Grandparent Family Connections
University of Maryland School of Social Work
Ruth H. Young Center for Families and Children
Mini-Med School
University of Maryland School of Medicine
September 30,2009
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University of Maryland
School of Social Work
 Frederick H. Strieder, PhD, MSSA,
Clinical Associate Professor University of
Maryland School of Social Work Program
Director, Family Connections
[email protected]
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Family Connections is a program of the University of
Maryland School of Social Work Ruth H. Young
Center for Families and Children that develops,
implements, and tests community-based family
strengthening services that empower vulnerable
families to achieve their safety, well-being, and
stability. The program is committed to educating
social work and other professionals to use
evidence-based models of practice.
www.family.umaryland.edu
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Acknowledgements
Family Connections
– Original support received from U.S.D.H.H.S. Children’s Bureau,
Grant 90-CA1580
– Diane DePanfilis, PI; Howard Dubowitz & Esta Glazer-Semmel,
Co-PIs
Grandparent Families
– Pilot tests of interventions with grandparent families supported
by Georgia State University & the Hasbro Foundation, MD
Department of Human Resources, & Maryland Children’s Trust
Fund
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Current Support
Replication of Family Connections with
Intergenerational Families
(Grandparent Family Connections)
– U.S. D.H.H.S, Children’s Bureau, 5-Year Cooperative Agreement
– Maryland’s Title IVE Education for Child Welfare Program
(support for some program staff)
– Annie E. Casey Foundation (10% cash match)
– Maryland Department of Human Resources (partial support of
operations for Family Connections program)
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Prior Research on Family
Connections
Suggests that intervention may have an
effect on:
– Reducing Risk Factors
depressive symptoms
parenting stress
life stress
– Increasing Protective Factors
parenting attitudes and satisfaction
social support
AND…..
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Prior Research on Family
Connections
Results suggest improvement in targeted outcomes:
Child Safety
– decreased CPS involvement
– fewer housing problems
– improved mental health care
– enhanced parental teaching of children
Child Well-Being (Behavior)
– decreased externalizing behavior and
internalizing behavior
Most positive effects endure six months following
case closure.
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Family Connections Received
Recognition from U.S. DHHS
Designated as “demonstrated effective”
DHHS, ACYF Funding Announcement
Priority area 2003D.1 Replication of
Demonstrated Effective Practices in the
Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.
8 cooperative agreements to replicate Family
Connections (FY04 - FY08) – one of these is our
project to replicate Family Connections with
grandparent families.
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Learning Objectives
 Unique needs and strengths of intergenerational
families.
 Risk and protective factors associated with
raising grandchildren.
 Principles and intervention strategies for
effectively working with intergenerational
families.
 Understand the perspective of grandparents
receiving assistance.
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Comments from a
Grandparent Caregivers
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Trends
The 2000 U.S. Census
– 4.4 million children living in grandparent
headed households under the age of 18 and
another 1.5 million children under 18 living in
other relative-maintained households.
– 2.4 million grandparent-headed households
– 19% below poverty line
– 30% increase from 1990
– 72% under the age 65
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Trends
The 2000 U.S. Census Grandparents
– 51% Caucasian
– 38% African American
– 13% Hispanics
Proportion caring for grandchildren
– 1% Caucasian
– 4.3% African American
– 2.9% Hispanics
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Trends
In Maryland
– 125, 697 grandparents live with grandchildren
and 50,974 are responsible for their
grandchildren’s needs.
– 3rd highest % of children living in grandparentheaded households of all 435 Congressional
Districts in U.S. Maryland District 7 (Baltimore
City and part of Baltimore Co.)
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Explaining the Trend
Increase in drug abuse, especially crack cocaine
AIDS
Parental incarceration
Divorce
Teen pregnancy
Rise in single-parent households
Poverty
Occurrences of child abuse and neglect
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Challenges and Stressors
Grandparents
45.9% African American care giving grandparents over
45 years of age have at least one disabled household
member (Minkler & Fuller-Thomson, 2005)
One third of African American care giving grandmothers
over 45 years of age are below the poverty line (Minkler
& Fuller-Thomson, 2005)
African American care giving grandmothers over 45
years of age were more likely to live in overcrowded
conditions and were more likely to have functional
limitations (Minkler & Fuller-Thomson, 2005)
33% of children in grandparent-headed households lack
health insurance (Kirby & Kaneda, 2002)
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Challenges and Stressors
Grandparents
Providing long-term care (Fuller-Thomson et al., 1997)
Complex legal situations (Grant, 2000)
Intergenerational strain (Climo et al., 1999)
Increased psychological distress, social isolation,
depression, deteriorating health (Kelley et al., 2000;
Minkler & Fuller-Thomson, 1999)
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Challenges & Stressors
Grandchildren
Victims of abuse and neglect
Victims of domestic violence
Histories of living in unstable and chaotic households
Problem behaviors in school, home, and community
Emotional, academic difficulties and/or psychological or
physical problems (e.g., Sands & Goldberg-Glen, 2000)
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Prevention Framework
Risk
Factors
OUTCOMES
Child Safety
Protective
Factors
Child
Well-Being
Family
Stability
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Sample Risk & Protective Factors
Risk Factors
– Everyday stress
– Parental stress
– Mental health
problems
– Alcohol & drug
problems
– Family conflict
Protective Factors
–
–
–
–
–
–
Parenting attitudes
Parenting competence
Family functioning
Social support
Safe neighborhoods
Family friendly
community resources
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A Population in Need of Services
Though their needs are
serious and unique, few
programs assist
intergenerational families.
Grandparent caregivers
often fall between the
cracks of foster care,
aging, education, and
disability service
systems.
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Resilience
Processes or mechanisms that protect people against the
psychological risks associated with adversity
Reduction of risk impact
Reduction of negative chain reactions
Establishment and maintenance of self-esteem and selfefficacy
Opening up opportunities
Rutter, 1987
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Resilience
- the developmental and situational
mechanisms involved in protective process
Rutter, 1987
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Resilience
Not a fixed attribute – changes related to time and
circumstances
Protection resides, not in the evasion of the risk, but in
successful management with it.
Change in risk trajectory to a more adaptive path
Not invulnerability
Rutter, 1987
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Functions of Grandparent Caregiver…
Co-parenting Grandparent vs Custodial Grandparent
Co-parenting grandparents
Those who share responsibility for a grandchild in households
that includes at least one of the child’s parents (FullerThomson, Hayslip, & Patrick, 2005).
Custodial grandparents
Those who provide full care for the grandchild when the
grandchild’s parents is not present in the household (FullerThomson, Hayslip, & Patrick, 2005).
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Functions as Caregiver…
Role Identity
Three constructs of social role theory within the context of
the grandparent caregiver experience:
Role timing
Role ambiguity
Role conflict
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Role Timing
The concept of “off-time” is established when the grandparent feels that the
transition from parent to grandparent has been disrupted. The grandparent
does not get to fully act in their role as grandparent, due to new parental
role.
The age of the grandparent affects their willingness to take on this new
role. Many of the grandparents are in their “twenties and thirties and did
not welcome the early transition to grandparenthood”.
Grandparents may see it as an opportunity to pass on familial values and
beliefs, as they redefine their new role.
(Landry-Meyer & Newman, 2004)
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Role Ambiguity…
Refers to “lack of clear guidelines or socially agreed on
behaviors regarding a role”.
Grandparent caregiver may struggle with their role as
grandparent vs parental role.
Grandparent caregiver have to face the challenges that come
with lack of legal authority, such as medical care, school
enrollment, and applying for financial assistance through
public social services agencies.
(Landry-Meyer & Newman, 2004)
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Role Conflict…
“May emerge between the enactment of an unanticipated role
and the external pressures of society.”
Grandparent caregivers no longer experience the “traditional”
role of being a grandparent, they now have to struggle with
their new grandparent role.
Grandparents may experience a sense of loss, as they lose their
traditional grandparent role, in order to incorporate their new
role as primary caregiver.
(Landry-Meyer & Newman, 2004)
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Comments from Grandparent Caregivers
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Intervention Strategies
for Working With
Intergenerational Families
Increasing Capacity
and
Reducing Risk
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Practice Principles
Ecological developmental framework
Community outreach
Family assessment & tailored intervention
Helping alliance with family
Empowerment/strengths-based
Cultural competence
Outcome-driven service plans
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Intervention Services
Crisis Intervention
Emergency Assistance
Individualized Outcomes-Based
Services
Individual and Family Counseling
Advocacy
Case Management
Interdisciplinary Practice
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Special Considerations
Life Stage Issues
Traumatized Children
Attachment Challenges
Intergenerational Conflict
Legal Issues
Health Care Issues
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Additional Resources
AARP
www.aarp.org/families/grandparents/raising_grandchild
Generations United
www.gu.com
GrandFamilies of America
www.grandfamiliesofamerica.com
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DISCUSSION
Questions?
Comments?
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To retrieve a copy of this
presentation, please visit:
The Family Connections Web Site
http://www.family.umaryland.edu
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References
American Association of Retired Persons (n.d.). Facts about raising
grandchildren.Retrieved October 23, 2002 from http://www.aarp.org.
Caliber Associates, Thomas, D., Leicht, C., Hughes, C., Madigan, A., &
Dowell, K. (2003). Emerging practices in the prevention of child abuse and
neglect. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services,
Office on Child Abuse and Neglect.
Harburger, D. S. & White, R. A. (2004) Reunifying Families, Cutting Costs:
Housing-Child Welfare Partnerships for Permanent Supportive Housing.
Child Welfare, 88 (5), 493-528.
McCallion, P., Janicki, M.P., Grant-Griffin, L., & Kolomer, S.R. (2000).
Grandparent caregivers II: Service needs and service provision issues.
Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 33(3), 57-84).
Minkler, M. (1999). Intergenerational households headed by grandparents:
Contexts, realities and implications for policy. Journal of Aging Studies, 13
(2), 199-218. Minkler, M., & Fuller-Thompson, E. (2000). Second time
around parenting: Factors predictive of grandparents becoming
caregivers for their grandchildren. International Journal of Aging and
Human Development, 50 (3), 185-200.
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References
Minkler, M. & Fuller-Thomson, E. (2005). African American
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: QA National Study Using the
Census 2000 American Community Survey. Journal of Gerontology,
60B (2), S82-S92.
Rutter, M. Psychosocial resilience and protective factors. American
Journal of Orthopsychiatry 1987, 57(3), 316-330.
Saluter, A.F. (1992). Marital status and living arrangements: March
1991. Current population reports. Series P20-461. Washington,
D.C.: US Government Printing Office.
Sands, R.G., & Goldberg-Glen, R.S. (2000). Factors associated with
stress among grandparents raising their grandchildren. Family
Relations, 49, 97-105.
Scarcella, C. A., Macomber J. E., & Geen, R. (2003). Identifying
and Addressing the Needs of Children in Grandparent Care: New
Federalism: National Survey of America’s Families. Urban Institute,
Retrieved 12/4/2006 at
http://www.unban.gov/url.cmf?ID=301842
U.S. Bureau of the Census (2002).U.S. Census Bureau State and
County Quick Facts, Baltimore City, Maryland, Retrieved 7/21/03 at
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/24/24510.html
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