Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Formation, Disruption and Intergenerational Transmission of Attachment

Abstract

Nationally and internationally, grandparents support their children and grandchildren by caring for those children who may be at risk in their own home, often in the contemporary context for extended periods. Attachment theory provides a framework to consider how the lives of children, parents and grandparents are affected when grandchildren come to live with their grandparents, whether it be on a shared basis or as a long-term arrangement. The concept also provides a guide to supporting each generation in the contemporary context, as formal or informal arrangements.

Keywords:

• Attachment
• Grandchildren
• Grandparent

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Chi-Sing Wong, Supervisor, Placement Services Unit; Children, Youth & Family Services, Adelaide, Australia and lecturer Andrew Wood, School of Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia for supporting this exploration.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sandi Connor

The author has recently completed the Masters of Conflict Management at University of South Australia, Australia after working for 6 years as a social worker in the Placement Services Unit of Children, Youth & Family Services in Adelaide, Australia