It would be interesting to find out how many students in your
school live with someone other than their parents. There may be more
than you expect. Surprising statistics in
Al's Morning Meeting show the rise in kids living with their grandparents full-time. In his column, Poynter's Al Tompkins said "nearly one in 12 children in the United States live with their grandparents."
An
AARP site gives data on grandparents and other relatives raising children in each state. The Web site USA.Gov
provides a wide range of resources from health and safety issues to financial assistance. The site also features resources from every state.
Here a few statistics in Tompkins' column from the Census Bureau:
-
2.5 million - The
number of grandparents responsible for most of the basic needs (i.e.,
food, shelter, clothing) of one or more of the grandchildren who live
with them. These grandparents represent about 43 percent of all
grandparents whose grandchildren live with them. Of these caregivers,
1.5 million are grandmothers, and 915,000 are grandfathers. (Source:
2005 American Community Survey)
-
496,000 - Number
of grandparents whose income is below the poverty level and who are
caring for their grandchildren. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey)
-
753,000 - Number of grandparents with a disability who are caring for their grandchildren. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey)
-
5.7 million - The
number of children living with a grandparent; these children comprise 8
percent of all children in the United States. The majority of these
children, 3.7 million, live in the grandparent's home.
