State Information

Across the country, one in ten children live with a grandparent. Four in ten of these children are being raised by that grandparent, and one in five of those families are living below the poverty line. This all adds up to approximately 2.9 million children in both formal and informal kinship care.

Children who have relationships with their grandparents have a better sense of self and more self-esteem, and the grandparents experience decreased memory loss, decreased depression, and increased life satisfaction. Those children whose grandparents are the primary caregivers have fewer behavioral and social skills problems than children in foster care. Parents who have relationships with grandparents cope better with stress.

Yet, grandparents and kin-caregivers receive far fewer support services than foster caregivers. They are more likely to be single, unemployed, older, and in poorer health, and live in poorer households. Further, very few states have adequate laws encouraging grandparent and relative visitation.

On these state-by-state resource pages, you’ll find information on your state’s laws and regulations, along with connections to resources in your state and community.

If you need additional help, please give us a call at 1-888-659-3745 or email help@grandparentsforchildren.org.