An exploratory study of grandparents raising grandchildren and the criminal justice system: a research note

Abstract

There are nearly one million grandparents living with their grandchildren without either parent present in the household according to the 2010 US Census. Furthermore, approximately 10% of these grandparents are the primary caregivers of their grandchildren due to a parent's incarceration. Yet, our understanding of grandparents raising grandchildren in relation to the criminal justice system is limited. The present research is an exploratory qualitative study of five grandparents raising grandchildren in these circumstances. Each grandparent was interviewed individually and all participated in a focus group. We first sought to shed light on the context in which the grandparent gained caregiving responsibilities. The findings indicate that the arrest of the parent was not the initiating event. We then examined the networks and services accessed when attempting to meet the multiple health, behavioral health, and financial needs of their grandchildren. Findings indicate that both formal and informal networks were utilized. There were several missed opportunities for intervention and coordinated service delivery by the social services and criminal justice systems. Research and policy implications are also discussed.

Keywords::

• grandparents raising grandchildren
• substance abuse
• incarceration
• criminal justice system
• informal networks

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Nicole Blakely for transcribing the interviews. Additionally, the authors express gratitude to Drs Susan Kelley and Deborah Whitley and the staff of Project Healthy Grandparents, without whom this research could not have been completed. We are most grateful to the grandparents who shared their experiences and their time.

Notes

Hagan and Dinovitzer (1999), Wakefield and Wildeman (2011), and the Center for Fragile Families and Child Well-Being (2012)

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Wendy P. Guastaferro

Wendy P. Guastaferro is an associate professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Her research interests include drug courts, substance abuse, and evidence-based practices in treating offenders.

Katelyn M. Guastaferro

Katelyn M. Guastaferro is working toward her PhD at the School of Public Health, Georgia State University. Her research focuses on maternal and child health. Her current research examines the prevention of child maltreatment and the effectiveness of parenting services delivered in a drug court setting.

Daniella Stuart

Daniella Stuart is completing her MSc in Criminal Justice and Criminology at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University. Her areas of interest include families and their interactions with the criminal justice system.