Intergenerational African families in which the grandmother is the primary caregiver of grandchildren and great-grandchildren are increasing rapidly in American society. Over the past decade, researchers and policy makers have shown considerable concern over the increases in grandparent-maintained households. This concern has stimulated a proliferation of research on grandparent caregiving on a wide range of issues. Among these are the impact of multiple roles on health, reasons for the rapid increase, problems and needs, social structure and extended family relationships, social support,...

Moving beyond simply describing the differences between custodial and noncustodial grandparents, this volume places helping efforts with grandparents in theoretical, empirical, and pragmatic contexts. Stressing the importance of theoretically grounded interventions and empirically-based studies for the design, implementation, and funding of programs, the chapters define an "action-oriented" approach toward changing the lives of grandparents and their grandchildren. Topics include: In what ways do support groups help; Caring for children with developmental disabilities; Predictors of...