Service Use and Unmet Service Needs in Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Abstract

Most in-depth studies of grandparents raising grandchildren use samples recruited from service providers, so little is known about those who do not use formal services. A sample of 200 grandparents registered with a public school district completed a survey on service use and unmet service needs. Of the 131 who did not use services, 82 reported unmet service needs, and 49 reported no needs. Those with unmet needs were younger, more likely to be Native Hawaiian, and less likely to receive public assistance. These findings indicate that some grandparents are falling through the cracks of the service provision network.

Keywords:

• grandparenthood
• grandchildren
• service use

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the State of Hawai‘i Executive Office on Aging, Department of Education, and the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Task Force of the Joint Legislative Committee on Aging in Place of the Hawai‘i State Legislature. Special thanks to Dr. Steven Shiraiki at the State of Hawai‘i Department of Education, Patricia Urieff and the staff at the Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center, and Jackie Chong of Na Tutu.