Fewer U.S. Grandparents Taking Care of Grandchildren
The latest figures from the most comprehensive survey of American life compare the years 2014-2018 and 2019-2023, timeframes before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the virus' spread. The American Community Survey data show "how lives were changed and family relationships altered by the pandemic and other occurrences like the opioid crisis," reported The Associated Press about the development.
The survey of 3.5 million households covers more than 40 topics, including ancestry, fertility, marital status, commutes, veterans status, disability and housing.
"The decrease in grandparents' taking care of their grandchildren is most likely because opioid-related deaths stabilized and then declined during the more recent timeframe since substance abuse is a leading reason grandparents find themselves raising grandchildren," noted the report.
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