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Full-Text Articles in Social Work
Pathways Into Caregiving For Rural Custodial Grandparents, Nancy Kropf, Margaret Robinson
Pathways Into Caregiving For Rural Custodial Grandparents, Nancy Kropf, Margaret Robinson
Nancy P. Kropf
Although one-quarter (25%) of custodial grandparents live in rural areas, less is known about these families than their urban counterparts. This qualitative study was conducted to determine pathways into care with rural families; that is, the reasons and process into custodial grandparenting roles. Based upon interviews with fourteen grandparents, three major pathways were identified. The most common was co-residential, where the parent generation exited a multi-generational household. In the incremental pathway, grandparents had attempted multiple strategies with the culmination of taking physical custody of the grandchildren. A final pathway, immediate care, was typically the result of a family crisis situation. …
Grandparents As Family Caregivers: Lessons For Intergenerational Education, Nancy Kropf, Denise Burnett
Grandparents As Family Caregivers: Lessons For Intergenerational Education, Nancy Kropf, Denise Burnett
Nancy P. Kropf
The number of grandparents who have responsibility for raising grandchildren has increased dramatically over the past several decades. From an educational perspective, content on custodial grandparents can promote an increased interest in, and understanding of, the complexities of aging by stressing the intergenerational aspects of this family form. This paper describes the growing population of custodial grandparents, and the larger socio environmental contexts of these families. In addition, it highlights instructional approaches for including content on grandparent-headed families within didactic and experiential courses.