Publication year
2007
Citation Title
A profile of grandparents raising grandchildren as a result of parental military deployment.
Journal Name
Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment
Journal Volume
15
Issue Number
4
Page Numbers
12-Jan
DOI
10.1300/j137v15n04_01
Summary
This descriptive study examines how military deployments affect custodial grandparents who are appointed to care for grandchildren during this parental absence. Participants were recruited through pre-existing support groups in community agencies located near military installations. Results suggest that grandparents’ overall satisfaction with life is impacted by marital status, custody status of the grandchildren, and health status.
Key Findings
All participants with a partner reported that caregiving impacted their relationship with their partner and 91% reported an impact on their greater social network.
These grandparents did not seem to be less satisfied with life when compared to norms for elderly individuals.
There was some evidence that the grandparents experienced higher levels of stress and parenting stress compared to general norms.
One of custodial grandparents’ primary concerns was a lack of access to military services on behalf of their grandchildren.
Implications for Program Leaders
Create workshops for grandparents to learn about military resources available to them when the custodial parents are deployed
Educate community providers about unique issues faced by custodial grandparents of military families
Offer trainings for professionals who work with military families about keeping custodial grandparents and their grandchildren engaged during the parents’ deployment
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend the development of programs that provide support for alternative caregivers while military parents are deployed
Encourage access to services and programs for children with a deployed parent who are cared for by custodial grandparents
Develop awareness initiatives that inform professionals who work with military families about the unique stressors associated with custodial grandparents of military children
Methods
Organizations hosting support groups for grandparents raising grandchildren near military installations in North Carolina and Virginia were contacted and potential participants were recruited for interviews.
Grandparents completed questionnaires about life satisfaction, personal stress, and satisfaction with parenting.
Descriptive statistics were calculated and compared to norms and associations between life satisfaction, personal stress, and parenting satisfaction were examined.
Participants
Participants were custodial grandparents (N = 23) in North Carolina and Virginia whose adult children were on military deployment.
The sample was 65% Black and 35% White; average age was 60.5 years old; and, among them, 61% were married, 26% were divorced, 9% were never married, and 4% were widowed.
Among the grandparents, 56% worked full-time and 30% were retired; 48% had guardianship or temporary custody, 35% had legal custody, and 18% had no custody changes.
Limitations
The participants were members of support groups and these individuals may differ from grandparent caregivers in general.
Researchers constructed part of the survey without examining reliability and validity, so it is unclear how well it measures the constructs.
Comparison groups for stress and parenting satisfaction were general samples and therefore it is difficult to conclude whether or not the differences are based on being a custodial grandparent or other characteristics that vary between the groups.
Avenues for Future Research
Examine how children are impacted by having grandparents as primary care givers while a parent is deployed
Improve generalizability by using larger samples (including military families across all branches)
Evaluate effectiveness of programs that aim to support military children who are cared for by alternative caregivers (e.g., grandparents, aunts, uncles)
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
There is a growing number of grandparents faced with the need to raise their grandchildren as a result of the military deployment of their own child. This is a descriptive study that examines the experiences of 23 grandmothers who are providing full time child care to their grandchildren. Results suggest that these grandparents are experiencing problematic levels of stress as well as changes in both intimate and social relationships.
Abstract Document
PRTW Document
Attach